Did John Bunyan really dream the Pilgrim's Progress? Had he memorized all the verses?
Upvote:2
The narrator in a literary work is distinct from the author.
Since Pilgrim's Progress is a work of fiction, it makes sense to believe the narrator is a literary device, not a factual retelling of an actual dream of the author.
From a subjective point of view, I can't imagine ever having a dream so coherent and detailed, and with a well-crafted plot!
Upvote:6
Part 1 I think could only be answered by speculation. Personally I would speculate it is simply creative story-telling, but that is just opinion.
For part 2; if we look at his earlier 1666 imprisonment, he is documented (see Wikipedia) as having:
two books, John Foxe's Book of Martyrs, the Bible, a violin he had made out of tin, a flute he'd made from a chair leg and a supply of pen and paper
So it seems clear that having a bible in jail (gaol) was no issue. Indeed, at this time it was compulsory to attend church (his crime was preaching without a license, as the C of E was aggressively controlling).
If anything, I would imagine a bible would be easily accessible, even in prison. Additionally, the writing was only started while in prison - it was only a 6 month imprisonment.
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