Christian Timeline and Summary

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• The narrator's first sight in his dream is of Christian alone and distressed over the approaching destruction of his city. At the recommendation of Evangelist, Christian decides to up and leave, stopping his ears against the shouts of his family and neighbors.
• With the burden of sin on his back, Christian makes it through the Slough of Despond with the help of, well, Help, and from there is directed to Mt. Sinai by Mr. Wordly-Wiseman.
• He arrives at the little Wicket Gate and is pulled through by Good-Will.
• Christian is welcomed at the House of the Interpreter. The Interpreter shows him many images of Christian truths to remember on his journey.
• Christian comes to the place of the cross, realizes Christ's sacrifice for his sins, and is relieved of the burden on his back. The Shining Ones give him a new robe, scroll, and certificate to present at the gate of the Celestial City.
• Next encounter is with Formalist and Hypocrisy.
• When they all come to the foot of the Hill of Difficulty, Christian stays on the prescribed narrow path up the hill, where he comes to an arbor. Unfortunately, he falls asleep here, loses his scroll, and loses retracing his steps later to find it.
• At the top of the hill, Christian comes to the Palace Beautiful, passes through the raging lions, and is admitted to rest and be restored by the ladies of the Palace.
• He passes down through the Valley of Humiliation.
• Christian runs into Apollyon, a manifestation of Satan, who tries to tempt him away from Christ. The two have full-out combat, which Christian finally wins, proclaiming his allegiance to Christ and, subsequently, thanking God for the victory.
• Christian crosses through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.
• Out of the Valley, Christian meets Faithful, a fellow-pilgrim and former neighbor from the City of Destruction.
• Christian and Faithful come to Vanity Fair, where they are ridiculed for their backwardness and lack of interest in material things and worldly power. The two are put on trial by Lord Hategood.
• Christian witnesses Faithful's death and resurrection.
• Christian leaves Vanity Fair with Hopeful in tow.
• The two encounter By-ends and his cronies.
• They pass the silver mine, Lucre, and are called by Demas to come and take a look. Christian keeps them back.
• Christian and Hopeful come to the River of God and rest.
• Christian persuades Hopeful to walk in the meadow running parallel instead. This is By-Path Meadow, where they soon get lost, trapped in a storm, nearly drowned in a flood, and finally captured by the Giant Despair who takes them to Doubting Castle.
• The giant and his wife, Diffidence, torture the pilgrims.
• Christian despairs of his mistake and wants to kill himself. Hopeful talks Christian out of this, enabling him to find the key.
• The two escape the giant Despair and find their way back to the road.
• Christian and Hopeful make it to the Delectable Mountains.
• Christian and Hopeful meet with Ignorance.
• Next they encounter Atheist, which leads Christian and Hopeful to discuss how they each came to have Christ revealed to their souls.
• Ignorance comes back and Christian tries to demonstrate the falseness of his faith. Ignorance grows frustrated and leaves them.
• Christian and Hopeful thus begin to discuss how it is that some people are able to stay on the road and others not.
• Christian and Hopeful come to the border of the Celestial City.
• As their last trial, Christian and Hopeful must cross a river to get to the great inner gate of the city. Each must cross it on his own.
• Christian, thinking of all his failings on the way, begins to find the water too deep. Hopeful, however, reminds Christian that Christ's love takes away all these faults.
• Reminded and revived, Christian makes it across and is met by angels, who escort him, with Hopeful, to the gate.
• They are received by the prophets and "transfigured" as they pass through into the city.