Which defects in character does the name "Pride and Prejudice" primarily refer to?

Passage

PASSAGE (Q86–Q90): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a classic known for its humor and complex characters. The famous first sentence of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," begins to set up all of the major themes of money, status, and marrying well that are prevalent in 19th-century England. The Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, a smart and strong-willed heroine, is the subject of Austen’s commentary on the societal imperative for women to marry well and thereby have a stable income. The title itself is quite meaningful, as it first indicates the character flaws that drive much of the conflict in this novel, namely Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice. In fact, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, being a rich and high-ranking person, first of all shows a haughty character, thereby being very superior by virtue of his class. Elizabeth, having been offended by his initial lack of warmth, as well as having been misled by the deceiving Mr. Wickham, very quickly showed prejudice against him. Traces the story of each as they navigate these weaknesses. Darcy needs to lower his pride to appreciate the value of Elizabeth’s inferior standing, though she must see the strength of his superior qualities. Austen employs irony and satire liberally to point out the absurdities of the class structure. Personages like the obsequious Mr. Collins and the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh symbolize the hard and silly aspects of class consciousness. The sojourn at Darcy’s grand estate, Pemberley, is an important defining instance in which the splendor of the property and the favorable reports of his servants compel Elizabeth to revise her earlier opinion and realize the truth of Darcy’s goodness. In the final analysis, the novel promotes love marriages, couples like Jane and Bingley, and Elizabeth and Darcy, who have successful marriages because of love, in contrast to couples who marry for convenience (Charlotte Collins and Mr. Collins) or those who are full of passion but irresponsible (Lydia and Wickham).

Question

Which defects in character does the name "Pride and Prejudice" primarily refer to?

1. A. Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice (Correct answer)
2. B. Lydia’s erratic behavior and Wickham’s deceits
3. C. Arrogance of Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins’s servility
4. D. Mr. Bennet’s wit and Mrs. Bennet’s fussiness

Correct Answer

Option A — Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Darcy's pride and Elizabeth's prejudice.

Key Points

• The title names two character defects, and the passage attaches them to the two central figures: pride to Darcy and prejudice to Elizabeth.
• The pairing is what the question tests — not simply recognising the words, but knowing which flaw belongs to which character.
• The distractors name other characters whose faults, however real, are not what the title refers to.

Additional Information

• The novel's arc turns on both characters recognising and correcting these faults, which is why the title describes a shared failing rather than a single villain.
• Some readings reverse the pairing, arguing Elizabeth also shows pride and Darcy prejudice — but the passage assigns them as above, and comprehension answers must follow the passage.
• Austen originally drafted the novel under the title *First Impressions*, which points at the same theme from another angle.
• When a question asks what a title "refers to", the answer is nearly always stated in the passage rather than requiring literary judgement.