The Pilgrim’s Progress: Motifs 4 key examples

Not long after passing the Cross, Christian sees three slumbering pilgrims named Simple, Sloth, and Presumption. Even after Christian wakes them and warns them to be on their guard against the devil, they insist that they're in no danger and drift back to sleep. Their names (suggesting foolishness, laziness, and obviously presumptuousness) highlight common traits of pilgrims who fail to keep watch over their souls, and their proximity to the Cross—the place where Christian joyfully lost his burden of sin—suggests that it's easy for even a relatively new, enthusiastic pilgrim to slide into complacency.

Yet even more seasoned pilgrims are susceptible to getting spiritually "sleepy," like Christian falling asleep in the Arbor halfway up Hill Difficulty. Here, he also ends up misplacing his Roll (a certificate assuring him of his place in the Celestial City), requiring him to retrace his steps and waste valuable time and strength on his pilgrimage. It's worth noting that Christian does find his Roll (i.e., he doesn't lose his salvation in a moment of carelessness), but his untimely nap does make his journey unnecessarily difficult down the road.

The temptation to complacency persists even relatively late in one's pilgrimage, as both Christian and Hopeful and, later, Christiana's group of pilgrims are tempted to fall asleep in the Enchanted Ground, just short of the land of Beulah. In both cases, the pilgrims must help one another stay alert by talking about what God has done in their lives—suggesting that, even on the outskirts of the Celestial City, it's easy to lose sight of one's heavenly goal, and that mutual spiritual encouragement is one key to avoiding that sad fate.

Sleep itself isn't universally described as bad in the novel. In fact, the presence of refreshing waypoints, like the Palace Beautiful and Gaius's Inn, among others, shows the importance of physical rest throughout one's arduous pilgrimage. The broader point, however, is that lasting rest is only found in Heaven, and it's all too easy for pilgrims to satisfy themselves with earthly repose instead of pressing on to the greater reward.

When Christian and Faithful reach Vanity Fair, one of the things that stirs up the residents' anger against them is that they wear "such kind of Raiment as was diverse from the Raiment" that's bought and sold in the Fair. In other words, they dress funny. In this case, Bunyan isn't emphasizing the literal strangeness of dress so much as what it points to: that the pilgrims' way of life is completely at odds with that of the people of Vanity. While the people of Vanity live for fleeting, worldly things, pilgrims live for eternal, heavenly things. It's this signification that prompts the people of Vanity to think them "Fools [...] Bedlams [...] Outlandishmen," and finally to break out against them in vicious persecution.

At last, when they reach the Celestial City, Christian and Hopeful receive golden clothing ("Raiment that shone like Gold") to replace their mortal outfits. They are no longer pilgrims; they have reached their long-sought destination and have now become residents of the Celestial City. So, it's only appropriate to cast aside their pilgrims' garb and put on clothes that reflect their new, heavenly status. Throughout the novel, changes of clothing, and the reactions distinctive clothing provokes in others, serve to mark stages of the pilgrims' journey and prompt readers to think about their own pilgrim status (or lack thereof) and where they are headed.

Christiana, her sons, and Mercy don't just spend the night at the Porter's Lodge; they're invited to stay for a whole month. Prudence, who lives at the Lodge, uses this time to quiz Christiana's sons on their catechism to see how well they know Christian teachings, and it also gives Matthew the chance to seek healing for his illness and be purged of the fruit he'd sinfully eaten earlier. Though their visit includes physical rest and nourishment, it serves more as a chance for spiritual nourishment—a chance to more fully take in and benefit from the Christian lessons they've been learning along the way.

Later, the group stops to rest for a month at Gaius's inn. The name Gaius is itself an allusion to a Christian disciple in the book of Romans, a "host [...] of the whole church." In other words, the biblical Gaius was hospitable to all Christians who crossed his path, and the same is true of Bunyan's Gaius. Gaius's hospitality is expressed partly through advice—he encourages Christiana to seek good Christian wives for her sons so that her lineage can continue to flourish, and he specifically urges Matthew and Mercy to get married, which they do. He shares a Bible-themed feast with his guests, nourishing not just their bodies but their souls (for example, the wine represents the "true Vine," Christ). Gaius's care for the pilgrims suggests that hospitality isn't just a matter of being friendly and feeding people, but taking an interest in their long-term good. The group also dwells for a long time in the home of a fellow Christian named Mr. Mnason (also a reference to a kindly host in the book of Acts).

Even though Christian enjoys plenty of hospitality throughout his own pilgrimage, Bunyan seems to emphasize hospitality more strongly throughout the women's pilgrimage. While Christian's visits focus on equipping him for the next stage of his journey, hospitality in Part 2 of Pilgrim's Progress is more expansive—both in the length of visits and in its role in strengthening pilgrims' relationships, through shared fellowship and even marriage.

In the Bible, shepherds are a recurrent metaphor—found in the Psalms, Old Testament prophets, and the New Testament (indeed, in Jesus's self-description as the Good Shepherd)—for those whose job is to tend and protect God's people (the "sheep," or "flock"). Both Christian and Christiana and their companions encounter literal shepherds who live in the Delectable Mountains, not far from the Celestial City. The Shepherds give both Christian and Christiana directions for the path ahead and warnings about obstacles to watch out for, like the mountain of Error (symbolizing false teachings about God) and a figure named Flatterer who traps pilgrims by telling them what they want to hear. He also warns them not to fall asleep on the Enchanted Ground. These warnings suggest that one of shepherds' primary roles is to keep Christians on the right path and caution them about harmful diversions they might meet. However, this function isn't just negative—the shepherds also offer Christian and Hopeful a glimpse of the Celestial City through a "perspective-glass," suggesting that shepherds motivate their flocks by encouraging them to look forward to heaven, not just by warning them to avoid hell.

When the women pilgrims pass through the Delectable Mountains, Mr. Great-Heart observes that these Shepherds show special care for the weak and infirm and that such tenderness proves that they're true shepherds, not false ones. This aspect of the motif suggests that in Bunyan's mind, Christian leaders don't function mainly as figureheads or disciplinarians, but as gentle overseers who defend the feeblest sheep in the flock; those who don't model such characteristics, in fact, are not to be trusted. This trait is reinforced when Christiana urges her daughters-in-law to commit their little children to the care of a particular shepherd who tends young lambs since, presumably, the children are too little to face the rest of the pilgrimage. Bunyan's original audience wouldn't have missed the allusion to Isaiah 40:11, "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm [...] and shall gently lead those that are with young." The allusion is both to Christ and to earthly "shepherds" as those who love, lead, and protect the most vulnerable.

Overall, then, the shepherds motif doesn't just show the importance of warning and encouragement throughout a pilgrim's journey, but also models for readers what good "shepherding" looks like in the real world—that is, loving and protecting, not harsh or dominating.