“The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan (post 2): Allegorical Multiple Personality would explain why characters are named according to their function

Approaching the midpoint of this work, I am most impressed by the fact that its characters do not have ordinary names. For example, an ignorant character is named “Ignorance.” Likewise, Christian is not a Christian man who just happens to be named “Christian,” and just happens to be seeking salvation. He is a man whose principal attribute and function is to seek Christian salvation.

This work is usually referred to as an allegory (1), but allegory does not require that all the characters be named according to their function. Where else, then, would functional naming be typical?

Functional naming is commonly found is multiple personality, because many alternate personalities do not have names, and so are referred to by their principal attribute or function. For example, an angry personality may be referred to as The Angry One. And a personality who writes poems may be referred to as The Poet.

Perhaps John Bunyan had multiple personality trait, so that when he had a theological crisis, his mind produced alternate personalities to work on his theology.

1. Wikipedia. “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim's_Progress