''The Life and Death of Mr. Badman: An Analysis of a Wicked Man's Life, as a Warning For Others, Presented to the World in a Familiar Dialogue Between Mr. Wiseman and Mr. Attentive'' is a 1680 book by

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...

. It was designed as a companion to ''

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of t ...

'' and was published by Nathaniel Ponder. The two characters have a

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

about sin and redemption over the course of a long day.

Background and plot

In his

preface __NOTOC__ A preface () or proem () is an introduction to a book or other literary work written by the work's author. An introductory essay written by a different person is a '' foreword'' and precedes an author's preface. The preface often close ...

titled "The Author to the Reader," Bunyan announces that Mr Badman is a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

for a real man who is dead. Mr Badman's relatives and offspring continue to populate Earth, which "reels and staggereth to and fro like a Drunkard, the transgression thereof is heavy upon it." In a mock

eulogy A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, especially one who recently died or retired, or as ...

, Bunyan says Mr Badman did not earn four themes commonly part of a funeral for a great man. First, there is no wrought image that will serve as a memorial, and Bunyan's work will have to suffice. Second, Mr Badman died without Honour, so he earned no badges and scutcheons. Third, his life did not merit a sermon. Fourth, no one will mourn and lament his death. Bunyan then describes the sort of

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

awaiting Mr Badman, citing Scripture. He said he published it to address the wickedness and debauchery that had corrupted England, as was his duty as a Christian, in hopes of delivering himself "from the ruins of them that perish."

Influence

Bunyan acknowledged the work was influenced by a work by Essex minister

Arthur Dent (Puritan) Arthur Dent (died 1607) was an English Puritan cleric, known as an author and preacher. Life Dent was born at Melton, Leicestershire. He matriculated as a pensioner of Christ's College, Cambridge, in November 1571. He graduated B.A. in 1575–6, ...

titled ''The Plaine Man's Pathway to Heaven'', which was set up as a dialogue between Theologus and Philagathus. That work also had other characters, including Asunetus and Antilegon.Dunan, A. (2000). The Life and Death of Mr. Badman as a 'Compassionate Counsel to all Young Men': John Bunyan and Nonconformist Writings on Youth. ''Bunyan Studies'' vol. 9, 50-68. Scholar Frank Wadleigh Chandler described it as a "

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

romance of roguery," Chandler, Frank Wadleigh (1907). ''The literature of roguery, Volume 2,'' p, 225-226. Houghton, Mifflin and Company Scholar James Blanton Warey described it as an English precursor to the

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself ...

, especially the

picaresque novel The picaresque novel ( Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for "rogue" or "rascal") is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish, but "appealing hero", usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corru ...

.Wharey, James Blanton (March 15, 1924 ). Bunyan's Mr. Badman and the picaresque novel. ''Studies in English'', No. 4, pp. 49-61.

John Brown of Bedford John Brown (1830–1922) was a British theologian, historian, and pastor. Brown obtained a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctor of Divinity and served as pastor of Bunyan Meeting in the town of Bedford, Bedfordshire in the Eastern part of England. He ...

came out with a version for

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pr ...

in 1905 that included Bunyan's ''

The Holy War ''The Holy War Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, to Regain the Metropolis of the World, Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul'' is a 1682 novel by John Bunyan. This early modern English novel, written in the form of an alleg ...

''.

References

External links

''The Life and Death of Mr Badman''
via

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital libr ...

* 1680 books Books by John Bunyan {{reli-book-stub