Bunyan began writing it when he was in the Bedfordshire county prison in central England for violations of the Conventicle Act, which had prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England. After today’s first edition, an expanded edition with additions written after Bunyan was freed, appeared a year later. Subsequent editions were published in his lifetime at testament to its quick uptake and popularity. The entire book is presented as a dream sequence narrated by an omniscient narrator. The central character named Christian, is meant to represent all of us, and the plot centres on his journey from his hometown, the "City of Destruction" ("this world"), to the "Celestial City" ("that which is to come"). Weighed down by a great burden—the knowledge of his sin—which he believed came from his reading "the book in his hand" (the Bible). Christian meets a character called Evangelist as he is walking out in the fields, who directs him to the "Wicket Gate" for deliverance. Since Christian cannot see the "Wicket Gate" in the distance, Evangelist directs him to go to a "shining light,” He leaves his home, and sadly also his wife and children to save himself as he cannot persuade them to accompany him. Obstinate and Pliable go after Christian to bring him back, but Christian refuses. Obstinate returns disgusted, but Pliable is persuaded to go with Christian until they both fall into the Slough of Despond, where Pliable abandons Christian after getting himself out. On his way to the Wicket Gate, Christian is diverted by the secular ethics of Mr. Worldly Wiseman and a Mr. Legality and his son Civility in the village of Morality, who divert him until Evangelist meets the wayward Christian and exposes Worldly Wiseman, Legality, and Civility for the frauds they are: Evangelist directs Christian to return to the way to the Wicket Gate, and Christian complies. There are many more characters and places on the way, but that should give you a taste of the tone and the scope of the work.
Bunyan's plain style breathes life into the abstractions of the anthropomorphized and has had an interesting widespread appeal, 50 years after its publication the famous writer Samuel Johnson said that "this is the great merit of the book, that the most cultivated man cannot find anything to praise more highly, and the child knows nothing more amusing." It was soon reprinted in the colonies of N America, and was widely read in the Puritan communities. Because of its historical context in post reformation England, it reflects an antipathy toward the Catholic Church, Bunyan presents the Pope as a decrepit and harmless giant to confront Christian at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of Death: and when Christian and another character Faithful travel through Vanity Fair, Bunyan adds the editorial comment: But as in other fairs the Ware of Rome and her Merchandize is greatly promoted in this fair: Only our English Nation, with some others have taken a dislike thereat. Distributed enthusiastically by Protestant Missionaries it has been translated into many languages as well as over eighty African languages. The struggles of Christian through life seem to have a universal resonance. Illustrated versions of The Pilgrim's Progress in Chinese were printed in Hong Kong, Shanghai in the 1850s and Fuzhou and the leader of the Christian inspired Taiping Rebellion, declared that the book was his favourite reading
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