Journey towards Salvation in Hannah Hurnard’s Hinds Feet on High Places

Abstract

            The concept of the unconditional love of God towards the human community has been carefully portrayed through the journey of Much-Afraid in Hannah Hurnard’s The Hinds Feet on High Places. Much-Afraid is the protagonist of this novel, who travels from the valley of humiliation to the High Places. This allegorical Christian novel which was published in the year 1955 is based on John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. Like Bunyan, Hurnard has given physical form to the human characters. Through the character, Much-Afraid the inner feelings, struggles and emotions of the novelist has been expressed in a detailed manner. The article mainly concentrates on exhibiting the importance of hurdles that the character faced during her journey towards the High Places. Hurnard has deliberately written it as an allegorical novel, to understand the trials and temptations that a Christian face throughout his/her journey called life. The main purpose of this article is to examine how Shepherd's unconditional love for the girl Much-Afraid is helping her to overcome the dangers of her life situations. The article also deals with the character transformation of the protagonist by exhibiting the challenges that she faced, and the love of God she encountered during the phase of her journey.