Christian, who was born with the name Graceless, is the protagonist in the First Part of the book The Pilgrim's Progress as well as 2019 animated film of the same name. His journey to the Celestial City is the plot of the story.

Story

Book

Christian is an everyman character, and the plot centers on his journey from his hometown, the "City of Destruction" ("this world"), to the "Celestial City" ("that which is to come": Heaven) atop Mount Zion. Christian is weighed down by a great burden—the knowledge of his sin—which he believed came from his reading "the book in his hand" (the Bible). This burden, which would cause him to sink into Hell, is so unbearable that Christian must seek deliverance. He meets Evangelist as he is walking out in the fields, who directs him to the "Wicket Gate" for deliverance. Since Christian cannot see the "Wicket Gate" in the distance, Evangelist directs him to go to a "shining light", which Christian thinks he sees. Christian leaves his home, his wife, and children to save himself: he cannot persuade them to accompany him. Obstinate and Pliable go after Christian to bring him back, but Christian refuses. Obstinate returns disgusted, but Pliable is persuaded to go with Christian, hoping to take advantage of the Paradise that Christian claims lies at the end of his journey. Pliable's journey with Christian is cut short when the two of them fall into the Slough of Despond, a boggy mire-like swamp where pilgrims' doubts, fears, temptations, lusts, shames, guilts, and sins of their present condition of being a sinner are used to sink them into the mud of the swamp. It is there in that bog where Pliable abandons Christian after getting himself out. After struggling to the other side of the slough, Christian is pulled out by Help, who has heard his cries and tells him the swamp is made out of the decadence, scum, and filth of sin, but the ground is good at the narrow Wicket Gate.

2019 film

In the realm of Apollon past the garden of four rivers and in the region of Abaddon, there stood an old city named NotCursed, where Apollyon, the master of corruption, constantly monitors his workers.

One day, an employer discovers that an employee is missing, and immediately reports it to his superior. Coming to his home, they discover drawings that are both frightening and reassuring. Christian is there among them, learns that the employee in question is called Faithful, and he leaves for the Celestial City, located beyond the borders.

That very evening, Christian is awakened by a nightmare, he looks at the book he found in Faithful's office. He is utterly amazed by this famous book, he no longer pays any attention to everything that is happening around him. Convinced of what is written in the book, he warns his family to flee together from this corrupt city doomed to destruction. Not credulous, his wife laughs and tells him that this book is just a tale.

Despite being disappointed because his wife refused to come with him, Christian is, nevertheless, determined to take the path that Faithful had followed. Evangelist comes to help him and encourages him to go straight ahead without turning away. On the way, Christian comes across Pliable, who agrees to follow him because he is totally obsessed with his marvelous proposals. Quickly, both men are put to the test, they fall in the swamp of Despondency, Pliable gives up. Christian escapes, saved by “You Called”. The latter informs that hardships await him.

Personality

Christian represents just one profound aspect of the human experience: the search for religious truth. He is his faith (hence his name). Christian’s motivation, the search for salvation in the Celestial City, clearly defines him. Christian is deeply goal oriented. Because reaching the Celestial City has a life-or-death urgency for him, he has little time or energy for lesser matters. Even his family shrinks nearly to insignificance in his mind as soon as he leaves for his journey. He never mentions his wife or children to his travel companions. At the Palace Beautiful, he shows some emotion when one of the four mistresses of the house inquires about his family, but he does not bring up the subject himself, nor does he return to it later. This does not mean Christian lacks feeling but only that the goal of salvation far outweighs any earthly concerns a pilgrim has.