Discuss cultural reflection of society in Pride and Prejudice.

The society of Pride and Prejudice is
that of England at the start of the 19th century.  In this society, class distinction
and wealth were of primary concern amoung the upper classes, and because women were
financially vulnerable, their best chance for a comfortable life was to marry well (at
least well enough).  Most of the plot of Pride and Prejudice is a
reflection of this cultural setting. 

Mrs. Bennet is
obsessed with finding suitable, and preferably wealthy, husbands for her daughters.  If
none of the girls marries well, the girls will be financially destitute upon the death
of their father.  None of the girls can inherit his estate due to an entailment, so they
will be left to live on next to nothing unless at least one of the girls can marry a man
of means.  While her behavior and attitude are satirized, Jane Austen is also satirizing
the social structure of England that creates this situation for women.  With that in
mind, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins, and Mr. Wickham all represent some part of
that social culture. 

Mr. Bingley is wealthy enough to
provide for Jane, and could also help any of the other unmarried sisters.  Mr. Collins
will inherit the Bennet estate, so a marriage to one of the daughters would ensure a
stable future for all the girls, which is why Mrs. Bennet is so distraught when Liz
turns him down.  It is also while Charlotte agrees to marry him -- not for love, but for
financial security.  Mr. Wickham's affections change through the story because he is not
a man of wealth and is seeking a women of means.  He only marries Lydia when the
financial incentives come through Mr. Darcy. 

Socieity's
concern over wealth and status affect the behavior of some characters in the novel. 
People of the aristoracy such as Mr Darcy and Lady Catherine felt a need to consider
their social status when choosing their spouses.  Darcy, in his failed proposal to
Elizabeth, speaks specifically about the fact that she is not of the right class, but he
loves her enough to marry her anyway.  Not exactly the right thing to say to the woman
you love, but it serves to highlight the culture at the time.  Lady Catherine's trying
to manipulate a marriage between her daughter and Mr. Darcy is more of the same idea. 
The upper classes sought to maintain themselves through marriage within their own social
circles.