The Pilgrim's Progress

Content Warning: This section references sexual assault and suicide.

Christian is the main character in Part 1 and remains a strong presence in Part 2. In Part 1, Christian is the protagonist, and the story revolves around him. He symbolizes the average Christian: His travails serve Bunyan’s purpose of helping the reader figure out what it takes to live a Christian life. Through Christian’s actions and words, Bunyan demonstrates the central qualities of a good Christian pilgrim (here used loosely to describe those on a spiritual journey, regardless of physical movement)—most notably, Faith’s Necessity for Salvation. Christian isn’t perfect, but Christians don’t have to be perfect (and in fact can’t be) to receive salvation.

Christian’s imperfections make him a more relatable and sympathetic character. Like a regular person, Christian has flaws. He wasn’t always religious. Christian has sinned and fallen under the spell of devilish powers. As he tells Apollyon, “I was born indeed in your Dominions, but your service was hard, and your wages such as a man could not live on” (332). Even as a faithful pilgrim, Christian makes mistakes. He falls asleep when he shouldn’t, loses the certificate, and leads Hopeful into By-Path-Meadow and Doubting Castle.