Justice (real or false) is all over the place in The Pilgrim's Progress. The looming specter of Judgment Day, the trial and execution at Vanity Fair, even the situation of our narrator, dreaming his dream in a jail—judgment is everywhere.
On a deeper level, though, you might think of what this says about the importance of consequences to Bunyan's conception of action. No one does anything in this story without a corresponding punishment or reward (or the promise of one or the other). To Bunyan, somewhere up there God is looking down and judging every single action we take.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- Consider the trial at Vanity Fair. How do Bunyan's details of the proceedings critique the justice system?
- How does Bunyan's use of allegorical names play with our tendencies to judge? What are some examples from the story of unfair judgment?
- The nightmare of Judgment Day experienced by the man at the House of the Interpreter is deeply moving for Christian. What is it about the details of this dream (or the prospect of "judgment" itself) that makes it enforce obedience so powerfully?
Chew on This
In his allegory, where characters frequently appear and leave on one page, John Bunyan uses key external traits (and clever names) to elicit certain judgments from his readers.
Using the format of a story, a narrative (as opposed to a sermon to express his teachings), Bunyan allows readers to make their own judgments.