View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Who greets the group at the entrance to the Land of Beulah?

2. How does the group get through the Slough of Despair?

3. Where is the second place the group goes when it leaves House Beautiful?

4. What does a man refuse in a scene the Interpreter shows the group?

5. What does the group ask Great Heart when they are inside the house?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the group at DelectableMountain?

2. What happens to ease the mind of the latest group member and what does Great Heart do after the group sets forth following James’ wedding?

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

4. What happens to the group in the morning at the Interpreter’s house and what does he do before the group leaves? Where are they going next?

5. Why is Mercy worried about the journey?

6. What does Honest tell the group about Self-Will?

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

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

9. Whom does the group ask to join them and what is that person’s worry?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Many themes are overtly presented in The Pilgrim's Progress through character development, setting, and action. Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze the theme of faith in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Consider the following questions as you write: What characters are most concerned with faith? Why? What are some symbols of faith? What characters seem faithful? Which do not? How does faith help drive the plot?

2. Trace and analyze the theme of false appearances in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Which characters struggle with this issue? Why? Which characters seem to be someone other than who they are? How do physical places seem to often represent good or evil and be the opposite?

3. Trace and analyze the theme of the difficulty of salvation in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Why might a reader think the author believes the way to salvation is difficult? How does the author attempt to present this view? What are some of the symbols and metaphors that support this theme?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,068 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample