by Julie Gossack* John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress portrays an all too real fictional character: the wicked Giant Despair.1 This colossal fiend seizes those who wander toward his Doubting Castle and secures them in his dark, stinking dungeon. Regularly and without mercy, the giant beats his victims, leaving them to mourn in distress. When the victims lament bitterly, Giant Despair advises, “Do away with yourselves. Drink this poison, for why should you choose