How we cite our quotes: Paragraph (P#) or Line (Line #)
Quote #4
At this Christian was somewhat moved, and putting to all his strength, he quickly got up with Faithful, and did also overrun him, so the last was first. Then did Christian vain-gloriously smile, because he had gotten the start of his Brother; but not taking good heed to his feet, he suddenly stumbled and fell, and could not rise again, until Faithful came up to help him. (P343)
The meeting of Christian and Faithful begins here, really, as so many good friendships do: with pride before the fall. Christian's "vain-glorious" pleasure at out-stripping Faithful is humbled by his tumble. Instead of laughing at this humiliation, however, Faithful's simple act of helping Christian is a pure gesture of goodwill.
Quote #5
"I met with one Discontent, who would willingly have persuaded me to go back again with him; his reason was, for that the Valley was altogether without honour. He told me moreover, that there to go was the way to disobey all my friends, as Pride, Arrogancy, Self-conceit, Worldly-glory, with others, who he knew, as he said, would be very much offended, if I made such a Fool of myself as to wade through this Valley." (P389)
Thinking about humility? The Valley of Humiliation is the place to go! The allegorical names here clearly lay out the social consequences of choosing the humble lifestyle. Proud, arrogant, and worldly people who used to be your friends aren't going to be too chummy anymore. By using the allegorical names, though, Bunyan is making a much larger and conceptual statement: not just that proud people tend to snub the humble, but that people who choose humility have to give up their interest in pride and honor. Humility and pride aren't just enemies … they're mutually exclusive.
Quote #6
"...for before Honour is Humility, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Therefore said I, I had rather go through this Valley to the honour that was so accounted by the wisest, than chuse the way which he esteemed most worthy our affections." (P391)
Here is Christian's reply to Discontent, which, as you can see, uses a type of logic that comes up frequently in this book. It's basically the old "last shall be first, first shall be last" notion, which points toward the eternal glory and honor of heaven. This is an either/or system of logic. Eternal glory means foregoing worldly glory; and if you choose that latter kind instead, you write yourself off of the heavenly guest-list.