The Pilgrim's Progress Choices Quotes

In this passage from the "Apology" at the beginning of the book, Bunyan describes his response to the conflicting advice of his friends over whether or not to publish. The apology also describes in-depth his decision to write in allegorical form, but the decision to publish is something he also feels the need to defend. At a time when print was only about a hundred years old, printing one's writing was not only gutsy but expensive. In this way, Bunyan's choice to print is something he offers as proof of his confidence in the book and his belief that it may bring otherwise unwilling people to the Christian life.

Fingers stopping his ears, this is Christian's battle cry as he runs from the City of Destruction. It's also a pretty clear articulation of what he's choosing instead of staying at home with his wife and children. How does this first of many tough decisions through the journey depict the nature of spiritual choices? Is it simply a choice of which church to go to, or something with more life-and-death significance? Why begin the story here, with this choice, instead of sometime earlier in Christian's life?

This exchange between the condescending Worldly-Wiseman and Christian is significant to the theme of choices. It represents a widely held critique of the fervently religious that they're simply taking themselves and their choices too seriously. To Worldly-Wiseman, this "distraction" of self-importance and taking one's decisions seriously literally makes people unfit to be part of society.

Bunyan is constantly reminding his reader of this "straight and narrow" road that the pilgrims walk. As Good-will explains here, there are many other paths one can take, and many opportunities to deviate from the narrow road. Just like walking a narrow bridge or balance beam, though, you know that when the path is narrow, you have to concentrate to stay on it. This emphasizes the way in which, for Bunyan, simply getting on the right road isn't enough. Walking the narrow, "right" way means constantly making the choice to stay on it.

Really important (and interesting) to think of a passage like this symbolically. In the allegory, Christian is having this experience of confusion in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But consider the state of mind that Bunyan's describing: the feeling of not knowing your own mind, like being caught in an avalanche and not being able to tell up from down. The Valley of the Shadow is just like the times in life when this kind of confusion and alienation descends; in grief, anger, fear. You might think of these feelings as the "wicked ones" whispering in your ear.

Everyone has it in his power to end the show whenever he likes, forcing the point that, as long as we continue to live, we choose to live. This goes along with the more subtle, constant, even unconscious nature of choice that Bunyan is often depicting. The Giant might seem to be the most evident cause of the suffering (he is the one with the stick, right?), but in this question he's really implying that his prisoners are choosing their torture by choosing to live. Pretty subtle for an ogre, right?

Spoken by Christian in the depths of Doubting Castle, this is perhaps the closest he comes on the journey to truly losing his purpose. The Giant Despair has recommended/tempted the pilgrims with the idea to kill themselves and even provided them with an ample assortment of weapons—"knife, halter, or poison" (P604). What a good host.

Christian's words speak to the depth of his suffering in the dungeon. It is his soul that wants to make this choice to die, a feeling that expresses the helplessness of his state. It's not simply that he doesn't want to persevere, but feels that he cannot. Considering the situation of the men in a prison, it's hard to wonder if Bunyan himself might not have known this experience pretty personally himself. Importantly, though, Bunyan puts this feeling in terms of choice. In a sense, one doesn't just despair; one chooses to despair. Which means... one can also choose not to. Once again, Bunyan could have made a pretty good therapist to his fellow inmates.

Here, Christian is explaining to a reluctant Hopeful his reason for condemning the failings of Little-Faith. The up-shot is that unlike Esau, an Old-Testament character who sold his birthright for a bowl of food, men who start with even a little but who have experienced the grace of God in their souls cannot be excused for losing faith. This is the reason why those who go astray are punished even more severely. They have forsaken, in a way, their own initial choice.