The Pilgrim's Progress is written in the "similitude of a dream"; Bunyan recounts a dream in which he views the progress or journey of Christian (and later Christian's wife Christiana) from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the way, Christian passes through places bearing names like Vanity, Beulah, Doubting Castle, and Beautiful. He also encounters physical obstacles like the Slough of Despond, the Hill Difficulty, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and the river before the gate to the Celestial City. As the names suggest, the setting of The Pilgrim's Progress consists of places that represent different spiritual and mental states and temptations. The Hill Difficulty may appear as a real hill to be climbed on Christian's journey; just as surely it represents the spiritual obstacles that must be overcome if Christian is to make progress on his journey to the Celestial City. The...