- The first image of the dream is of a poor man, crying over a book, and with a huge, heavy sack strapped to his back. His cry is, ''What shall I do?" (P1).
- The man goes home to his family where, while he tries for a while to keep this anxiety a secret, he eventually has to let it out. He tells them that it's all on account of two things: 1) the "burden" on his back and 2) that he's been "informed" that the city they all live in is going to be destroyed, along with everyone in it. Not surprisingly, they all think he's nuts.
- Contrary to everyone's hopes, the man hasn't lightened up by the morning. Soon, he's the joke of the town and can only wander the fields with his book, continuing to ask "What shall I do to be saved?" (P3).
- Unable to answer himself, he meets with a man named Evangelist who tells him the reason for his terror. The Evangelist confirms his fears and points toward a light that will take him to a Wicket Gate, where he's told to knock for help.
- The man's family (again, understandably?) tries to keep him from running off, forcing him to plug his ears and run, shouting to himself "Life, life, eternal life" (P8).
- Two other men from the city run after him, Obstinate and Pliable. When they catch up, the fleeing man is introduced to us as Christian, who refuses to be persuaded to return. Obstinate scoffs at Christian's pursuit of salvation in Heaven and goes back to the city.
- Pliable, however, is willing to be swayed by Christian and says that he'll come too. Pliable goes on to ask what, in more detail, they're looking for exactly, and Christian paints a picture of heaven—angels, happiness, fluffy clouds, the whole shebang.
- Christian tells Pliable that the only thing he needs to do to receive this from "The Lord, the governor of that country" is to "be truly willing to have it" (P36).
- Christian and Pliable soon come to a place called the Slough of Despond, and (somehow) fall into it. Because of the heavy sack he still has, Christian begins to sink. Pliable, feeling a little misled, leaves to return home.
- Christian, weighted down by his sack, is unable to haul himself out of the Slough and receives help from… Help.
- Here, the narrator/dreamer sees himself approach Help and ask why nobody has done anything about the Slough. Help explains that this is where the people's fears and doubts about their sinfulness all pool together. The King has tried to mend it, but the run-off still gathers and has trapped many travelers. He has even provided steps out of it, but many people are too confused and (literally) bogged down to see them.
- The narrator sees Pliable return to the City of Destruction and begin to mock Christian for the entertainment of others.
- Christian is approached by Mr. Worldly-Wiseman. Older, more experienced, and more "worldly" than Christian, he counsels him to get rid of the burden on his back and to take all of these spiritual questions less seriously.
- He directs Christian instead to the village called Morality where he can get rid of the burden and "live by honest neighbors in credit and good fashion" (P72).
- Christian is persuaded by Mr. Worldly-Wiseman, who directs him to travel toward the "high Hill" (P75) or Mt. Sinai (see the "Allusions" section for more on this). When he approaches the mountain, however, he grows so afraid that it will topple onto him and his burden grows so much heavier that he regrets having followed the worldly man's advice.