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Abstract
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The topic focuses on applying Reader-Response theory to John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Traditionally, this work has been analyzed through its religious and moral themes, reflecting the Puritan context of its original audience. However, using a Reader-Response lens, the novel’s meaning is viewed as dynamic, generated through the interaction between readers and the text itself. This perspective highlights how readers from different times, cultures, and backgrounds bring their own experiences into interpreting the allegory. This adaptability is evident in the fact that The Pilgrim’s Progress has been translated into over 200 languages, making it one of the most widely read and interpreted works in literature. This approach emphasizes that meaning is not fixed but is shaped by the readers’ engagement, challenging traditional views that associate the work solely with its 17th-century theological origins.
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