Preview: Section 7
Reading boundary
Start: Now I saw in my dream, that Christian went not forth alone,
Stop after: Whose castle's Doubting, and whose name's Despair.
After Faithful’s death and Christian’s escape from Vanity Fair, he continues along a road increasingly shaped by questions of companionship. Religious language can conceal motives tied to comfort, reputation, and profit.
This long section tests motives as well as destinations. Plausible arguments for easier or more rewarding choices compete with the marked highway, and the pilgrims’ conversation shows how they reason about comfort, profit, and faithfulness.