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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who pulls Christian out of the muck when he accidentally becomes trapped after setting out on his journey?

2. What does Christian say about Talkative?

3. What happens to Little Faith in Christian’s story?

4. How often is the Vanity Fair held?

5. Why might the waters to cross be shallow for a pilgrim?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Christian and Hopeful after the flood on By Pass Meadow blocks them from leaving?

2. What story does Christian tell Hopeful and the person in question 23?

3. Where do Christian and Hopeful go after leaving the Enchanted Ground and where is it in relation to Celestial City?

4. Whom do Christian and Hopeful meet after Christian leaves Vanity?

5. How does Christian meet Formalist and Hypocrisyand what happens to them and why?

6. What does Faithful say about some of the people he has met on his journey?

7. What does Worldly wise suggest to Christian and how does that turn out?

8. What happens at Lucre Hill?

9. What does Christian pass on his way through the valley and what does he do about it?

10. How does Christian meet Goodwill and what does Goodwill do for Christian?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The female pilgrims find the path changed from when Christian walked it. The first set of bad characters, Simple, Sloth, and Presumption, are not there to tempt the pilgrims. Instead, they have been punished and made into a warning. Again, the female pilgrims are guided and told of the clear wrongs of these characters.

1. Do you think women and men react to moral decisions differently? Why or why not? Use examples from the novel to support your answer.

2. Some of the punishments dealt out in The Pilgrim’s Progress are quite harsh. Discuss the differences in the legal systems of today versus in the 1600s. How have the forms of punishment changed?

3. Do you think if a person is always told exactly what to do that might hinder the person from developing a moral fortitude? Why or why not? How is this idea explored in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Christian represents the common man, who is faced with the question of what will happen to him after death. He is disturbed by images of Hell and chooses to leave his home and family to seek salvation. On the journey, he meets Evangelist, who acts as his spiritual guide. Christian shows his weaknesses in often being detoured from his goal by the forces of evil.

1. Christian is a universal, everyman character even today. To be human is to wonder about death. Discuss how Christian’s images of Hell might represent the universal fear of death. Use examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress and your own experience to support your answer.

2. Discuss the weaknesses and strengths that Christian shows on his journey. Present and analyze examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress to support your answer.

3. Do you think that the “lesser sins” such as sloth or dishonesty are as detrimental to a person’s psyche as the more felonious ones? Why or why not? Use examples from The Pilgrim’s Progress to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

The narrative style of a work of literature refers to the perspective from which the story is told. Answer and discuss the following:

1. Is the narrative in The Pilgrim's Progress related from a first, second, or third-person perspective? What are the advantages and the disadvantages of this narrative perspective?

2. Is the novel related in the present or past tense? Why is the tense of the narrative important in analyzing a work of literature?

3. Is the narrator of the novel a reliable one? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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