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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. Where does the group stop for the night after meeting Honest?

2. Whom does James marry?

3. What does the author relate about the first part of the book in the beginning of Part 2?

4. What has happened to Sloth, Simple, and Presumption in Part 2?

5. What does the person who joins the group after the inn worry about?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the group see as they come to House Beautiful and how did Christian deal with it? How does Great Heart deal with it?

2. Why is Mercy worried about the journey?

3. Where are the first two places the group go after leaving House Beautiful and what does Great Heart do for them?

4. What do the men of the group do? Who marries James? Who marries Matthew?

5. How does the group earn the gratitude of Vanity’s townspeople and what has happened while the group is staying in Vanity?

6. What is in the dream Christiana has before she leaves her home?

7. What does the group’s rescuer tell them and where do they go next? What do they see there first?

8. Where does the group stop shortly after meeting Honest and what are they told there?

9. How is the group greeted at House Beautiful? What kind of dream does Mercy have?How long does the group stay?

10. Why do they need a doctor and what does the doctor give Christiana?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Few works in literature present so effectively what it means to be committed to a cause or belief. In The Pilgrim's Progress, the world is filled with snares and diversions which may keep Christian from realizing his purpose. In an age like our own, when distractions and temptations keep many young people from realizing their potential, The Pilgrim's Progress stands apart, celebrating the courage and resolve needed for a person to do what he believes is right and good.

1. Compare the rigid theology of the Christians in the 1600s to a modern religion that seems to be just as rigid. How are the tenets of each religion similar? How are they different?

2. Discuss the ways in which The Pilgrim’s Progress might be used to teach determination and perseverance. What characters embody these traits?

3. How would you compare the distractions and temptations in The Pilgrim’s Progress to modern issues the young have to face?

Essay Topic 2

Some books embody character-driven plots while others are action driven. Still others seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven? Which of these styles do you think that The Pilgrim's Progress falls into?

2. In what ways does plot structure differ between works that are character driven versus action driven? How is this illustrated in The Pilgrim's Progress?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

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?

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