John Bunyan

John Bunyan was born into poverty as the son of a Bedfordshire tinker

Because of his dissenting Baptist religion, he spent much of his adult life in prison

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666) was the story of his transformation into a courageous preacher and leader

With little formal education, Bunyan was largely self-taught as a writer

After refusing to abandon his preaching, Bunyan was jailed for 12 years,starting
in 1660

While in prison, he wrote Grace Abounding. Released from prison in 1672

he was jailed again for six months in 1675, when the Test Act was enforced

Pilgrim's Progress was published in 1678 and 1679

Because of its popularity, Bunyan wrote a second part in 1684, featuring Christian's (the main character's) wife and family

Names are the key to this allegory, which was both a realistic picture of a journey in the English countryside of the late 17th century and a metaphor for the journey of life

Other important literary developments in prose included the invention of newspapers and journalism, as well as the rise of women authors

Two important women authors of the period are Mary Astell, an essayist, and Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, a poet

Both wrote to counter the stereotypes about women's limitations prevalent in their male-dominated society

Women also participated in the development of gothic and romance novels, precursors of these genres today

At the time, these works were seen as less admirable than the more rationalistic literature produced by male authors.

Upcoming

• Read Before Class: Samuel Johnson, "Vanity of Human Wishes"; "Rambler No. 4"; "Preface to the Dictionary" James Boswell: From "The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D." ("Plan of the Life" to "Dread of Solitude").
• please complete your CPA for this reading.