The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

A pilgrimage is a long journey, usually taken for religious enlightenment, that ends at a symbolic location such as a cathedral, the tomb of a saint, or the site of a miraculous occurrence. Whether it be the haj to Mecca, a search for healing in Lourdes, or the Mormon missionary journey, the concept of making a long, physically arduous trip to gain wisdom or a better understanding of oneself resonates across many different cultural and religious contexts. Drawing on the literary tradition of the pilgrimage from works like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales or Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Joyce creates a story of one man’s trip across England that begins as a mission to honor his dying friend and transforms into a pilgrimage of redemption and reconciliation. Like all pilgrimages, Harold’s trip is fraught with physical and emotional strife, and he embraces its suffering in hopes it will absolve him of his mistakes. Joyce uses the universal archetype of the pilgrim on a pilgrimage to provide the physical structure for the novel and as a symbol of Harold’s inward journey toward penance and peace.

Harold never intended to walk 600 miles to Berwick-on-Tweed. He never intended to walk farther than his mailbox, but as he takes steps away from his home, something inside him opens, and he feels a sense of freedom and purpose for the first time in many years.