The Subject of Women in John Bunyan’s thought:A Brief Survey in The Pilgrim’s Progress
The subject matter of women has always been one of the most controversial issues in social grounds and also in literary works. In a similar vein, religion also played a tremendous role in undermining women as social equivalents for men. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress received much praise from the people of his time up until now. Scrutinizing this story, one could easily realize that men are obviously in the focal point of the story, considering the fact in mind that this book was meant to show the path which leads to the glory of God. Hence, this issue raises some fundamental questions concerning the role that women could play in this quest. Writing as a Puritan, Bunyan put his utmost focus on the hardships men could face in this way though it might be unconsciously - and women are depicted as secondary roles in this novel. This paper then tries to point out this arising issue by drawing attention to the deeds men and women undertake in this work and furthering our understanding of Bunyan’s partial point of view.