The Pilgrim's Progress Choices Quotes

Spoken by Christian in the depths of Doubting Castle, this is perhaps the closest he comes on the journey to truly losing his purpose. The Giant Despair has recommended/tempted the pilgrims with the idea to kill themselves and even provided them with an ample assortment of weapons—"knife, halter, or poison" (P604). What a good host.

Christian's words speak to the depth of his suffering in the dungeon. It is his soul that wants to make this choice to die, a feeling that expresses the helplessness of his state. It's not simply that he doesn't want to persevere, but feels that he cannot. Considering the situation of the men in a prison, it's hard to wonder if Bunyan himself might not have known this experience pretty personally himself. Importantly, though, Bunyan puts this feeling in terms of choice. In a sense, one doesn't just despair; one chooses to despair. Which means... one can also choose not to. Once again, Bunyan could have made a pretty good therapist to his fellow inmates.

Here, Christian is explaining to a reluctant Hopeful his reason for condemning the failings of Little-Faith. The up-shot is that unlike Esau, an Old-Testament character who sold his birthright for a bowl of food, men who start with even a little but who have experienced the grace of God in their souls cannot be excused for losing faith. This is the reason why those who go astray are punished even more severely. They have forsaken, in a way, their own initial choice.