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Analyze The Pilgrim’s Progress
The pilgrim's progress
The pilgrim's progress
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Pilgrim’s Progress Essay In Pilgrim’s Progress, Paul Bunyan wrote two great allegorical examples of a Christian: Christian and Faithful. Traversing through difficulties and triumphs, they progressed to find the Celestial City, which represents heaven. Both characters showed the right way to react to different situations in life. These characters are two great allegorical examples because they accurately portray the Christian in real life. Christian, the main character in Pilgrim’s Progress, started his journey as every real Christian should: considering Christ greater than anything he had. He left his family and friends, all of whom rejected him, in order to start following God. He knew that his relationship with God came first place and he acted on it. His actions demonstrated his faith. His actions proved that his faith was real. His family and friends not only represented the human relationships that a Christian must leave when he becomes a Christian, but also every other worldly thing that is important to a Christian. Not only did Christian leave his family and friends but he also fought against the Apollyon. When Christian and the Apollyon battled, Christian slipped and lost His sword, and Christian found that he could not defeat Apollyon on his own. In real life, the Christian may have the disadvantage …show more content…
in fighting Apollyon, which is another name for the Devil, but the situation gives God the opportunity to save the day. In the story, Christian prayed and received help from God to defeat the enemy. The Christian person in the world finds that he too can draw strength from God through prayer. In Vanity Fair, Christian was tempted to forsake his calling to the Celestial City when vendors around him were selling him wares.
The Fair represents the world, and their wares are the many worldly things like the following: food, money, and clothes. The wares of this world are not bad in and of itself, but it is bad when the wares distract people from following God with their whole heart. In the story, Christian, with the help and encouragement of his friend Faithful, resisted from succumbing to the pleasures of the world. In the same way, the Christian is not alone in the real world and has a church of believers that can help him along his
way. Like Christian, Faithful came from the City of Destruction and was tempted by the pleasures of the world. As he was going to the Celestial City, he met Adam the First. Adam the First symbolized the carnal nature within man. Faithful refused the tempting of Adam, but he did not escape unscathed. Because Faithful refused his offer, Adam became mad and accosted Faithful. In real life, the Christian, might have to pay the price for his obedience, for not even the Christian is granted full protection from the evils of this world. Sometimes, the Christian must pay the ultimate price for his obedience. In Vanity Fair, Faithful and Christian were wrongfully accused of their actions against the people of vanity Fair, and Faithful was condemned to be killed. His life does not end there though. Right after he died, he was taken to heaven. The Christian person always has the hope of going to heaven when he dies and that all his work is going to matter. In heaven, there will be peace for his soul. Christian and Faithful are great allegorical examples because they accurately depict the normal walk of a Christian. Perfect but in a fallen world, these men show the frailty of a human person and the need for God. The pair pushed forward to glory, always moving forward.
Thomas C. Foster in his work How to Read Literature Like a Professor argues that even though characters may display evil characteristics, their religious values overpower and express “themselves in connection with the [character’s] role within society” (Foster 125). Literary characters may display some of the same characteristics as Christ while accomplishing actions with “redemption, hope, or miracle” (132). Jay Gatsby in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby symbolically resembles a Christ figure—sacrificing himself to save Daisy from the law, outstretching his arms towards hope, and coming to West Egg to retrieve Daisy’s unworthy world.
In 1620, seeking refuge from persecution in Europe, William Bradford and his small colony of one-hundred and three Protestant separatists, later known as the Pilgrims, arrived in New England to found Plymouth Plantation. Winthrop established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, now known as Boston, as a theocracy, where elected leaders such as Winthrop himself made decisions with the advice of the clergy based of their belief of pre-destination and enforced strict religious laws upon all people who lived in the colony. Although most of those who migrated to America in 1630 shared a common Calvinist theology, there was by no means unanimity regarding how they would practice their religion. Two prominent figures soon brought dissent among the community; first, Anne Hutchinson spread her sharp challenge to the Puritan faith by spreading the idea that a holy life was no sure sign of salvation and to not bother with obeying the law of either God or man; second, Roger Williams urged
Along with many of Chris’ books, Walden, a book about reflection of simple living immersed in nature, was found among his belongings giving people a better understanding to Chris’ mind. “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth”(Chapter 18, Walden); this passage was highlighted in Chris’ copy of the book in which he wrote “TRUTH” on top of it. These words represent the morals he preached and practiced. The “truth” for him was an answer he wanted to know to uncover his purpose in life. The truth of life and existence is only achievable through personal satisfaction of goals and breaking away from the expectations of society. Chris was not one to stand by and let society define his path instead he took control of his own destiny and found his own “truth”.
On the other hand we have a story that is also humorous; however, his literary devices achieve a more childlike tone and his story concludes with a sympathetic effect on the reader . In “Salvation”, by Langston Hughes he takes us back to his inner thirteen year old self and his experience with being “saved” in a church. He explains the internal struggle he faces when he is pressured by a whole congregation to “see jesus” and the ironic effect it has on his perspective towards Jesus.
... all the animals in the barn Wilbur wouldn’t of made it. The fair setting definitely has its own impact on the movie. The fair has Wilbur in a show for a prize. If he doesn’t win this prize he will probably end up as Christmas ham. His competition was this huge pig that was more than likely going to win first prize. However, that didn’t get Wilbur down. Even though he didn’t win first prize for the show, he still won a medal that would save him from becoming a Christmas ham. This setting reveals that even though it’s close to end that you should never give up.
The Christian faith focuses on the orientation of the human heart behind human thoughts and actions. Living by faith is a beautiful alternative to the way people think of themselves and the way they live in relation to others in their daily lives (Merrick, 2014). Christians see themselves in terms of God’s profound love for them but not in terms of what they do. The teachings of the Christian faith; nonviolence, non-retaliation, inward integrity, selflessness, and love your neighbor as yourself provide the framework for ethical thinking. Although, adopting belief in Christianity can bring forth confusion in the heart and mind causing agony of learning to sacrifice one’s rightful claims for personal justice for the restoration of another (Merrick, 2014). Unconditional forgiveness is difficult to understand because spiritual forgiveness and actual costly forgiveness is viewed as the same in the gospel. If you do not forgive, then one does not have faith in God’s forgiveness as it really is. Christianity influences a person thinking and behavior developing wisdom which requires faith. The faith that is needed to reorient the heart away from selfishness to selflessness.
In life, empty, forsaken, lonely people in dire need of help put their faith toward God or a significant individual. A current example includes the 10 year old boy released by his kidnapper after singing a gospel song for hours. In Mark Twain’s The Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, Joan Arc, a teenage French military commander shows faith whenever she goes to battle or is about to face death. Eventually she gets captured and even though she will die she continues to keep her faith in God. By showing the effects of faith on Joan of Arc and her comrades, Mark Twain illustrates his belief that the value of an intense personal faith is important in everyone’s life.
For example, a protestant minister who was angry with the character Candide’s religious indifference refused to give him food after preaching charity right before. The protestant minister is hypocritical because he tells Candide everyone is welcome to his food, but when Candide does not reject the pope and confirm the protestant teachings he is no longer offered bread. “‘My friend,’ said the orator to him, ‘do you believe the Pope to be Anti-Christ?’ ‘I have not heard it,’ responded Candide; ‘but whether he be, or whether he be not, I want bread.’ ‘Thou dost not deserve to eat,’ said the other.” Candide repeatedly highlights the hypocrisy of the church in this manner. The way the protestant minister would refuse charity to someone who disagrees with him flies in the face of the Church's supposedly charitable mission. The book claims churches that preach love and charity, instead kill over slight differences in
The Christian faith has been a major legacy left by my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather started a Spanish church in Blue Island, Illinois, and raised his family in the ways of the Lord. He taught his children the importance of having a strong foundation in the Word and the importance of coming to church. His legacy is evident in the lives of his children and grandchildren. Even when at times different family members have walked away from the Lord, their strong foundation as children has often times brought them back to God. My grandma and my mom both had similar experiences, and if it had not been for the strong foundation in the Word of God, God only knows where they would be today and if I would even exist. I grew up in church, and have a personal relationship with God, that will enable me to be apart of the Christian culture at Southeastern
In Langston Hughes’ essay “Salvation,” Langston talks about the first time he is going to be saved from sin. Langston is a young boy around the age of thirteen. He is going to church to see Jesus for the first time. In which case, he truly experiences religion for the first time in his life. Throughout this essay Langston uses many narrative techniques such as, imagery, metaphors, and irony to explain his interpretation of that one night when he did not see Jesus.
The perception of religion is different for everyone and for the grandmother in the story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, being a lady with good Christian values was how she defined herself. The grandmother’s innocence of the evil existing in the world cost her and her family their lives. The story “Cathedral” however, has a more positive outlook on faith. The narrator, “Bub”guided by a blind man named Robert was able to visualize and draw a picture of a cathedral, without really knowing what one was. This essay will examine how the outcomes of both stories were affected by the beliefs of those involved.
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is an allegorical story about the Christian religion. It allegorizes the journey of a Christian into "the Celestial City, which represents heaven. Although Pilgrim's Progress may seem simple and straightforward, there are many deeper meanings throughout the whole story. Bunyan uses the names of his characters to signify whom the character represents in the story, for example, the character Hopeful represents hopefulness, Help represents people who are willing to help others in need of assistance, Faithful represents people who are faithful to whatever they are associated with, and the main character, Christian, represents all young Christians in the world. His journey to the Celestial City is a journey every Christian must face in their lifetime before allowed into heaven. Within his journey there are many obstacles such as temptations both tangible and intangible for instance, the merchandises sold at Vanity Fair and the shortcuts offered, illustrate temptations real Christians must face and overcome; finding an easy way into heaven, and being thrown off course by material things. The character Christian overcomes many obstacles before reaching his destination, the Celestial City. But during his journey he does not face all these obstacles alone. He meets a variety of people all through his journey to the Celestial City; some of these people mock his traveling to the Celestial City, some decide to follow him, and some help him along his way. Christian meets Faithful who decides to join him on his travels. Faithful is a character that faces many difficulties on his own journey to the Celestial City; his journey has many diff...
Throughout Paradise Lost, Milton uses various tools of the epic to convey a traditional and very popular Biblical story. He adds his own touches to make it more of an epic and to set forth new insights into God's ways and the temptations we all face. Through his uses of love, war, heroism, and allusion, Milton crafted an epic; through his references to the Bible and his selection of Christ as the hero, he set forth a beautifully religious Renaissance work. He masterfully combined these two techniques to create a beautiful story capable of withstanding the test of time and touching its readers for centuries.
The Pilgrim's Progress is a Puritan story, and Bunyan chose to tell it in the form of an allegory. The characters, the objects and the events are presented in a symbolic way, so that the story conveys a deeper meaning that the actual incident described. A moral lesson is being taught here. The mixture of religious context and dialogue makes it more like a morality play (miracle play) which was very popular at Bunyan's time. The story is written in ordinary prose, the language is simple, colloquial and down-to-earth. This appeals to readers of the lower class, who are poor and not highly educated.