The turning point in a story is officially called the climax. The climax occurs the moment a story's conflict reaches its point of greatest intensity and the story's resolution is in sight. All action that leads to the climax is called rising action; all action that leads to the resolution is called falling action.
In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the conflict begins reaching its greatest point of intensity the moment Lydia runs away with Wickham. It is at this moment when it looks like all hope for the Bennett family is lost because Lydia's actions will shame the rest of the family and ruin the other daughters' chances of marrying to obtain financial security. Yet, as a consequence of this moment, Darcy has his chance to display his abilities to show compassion, and Elizabeth truly recognizes the extent to which she has misjudged him.
Darcy first shows the extent of his genuine feeling and compassion when, seeing how upset Elizabeth was after receiving the letter from Jane describing Lydia's actions, declaring with passionate feeling, "Good God! what is the matter?," he offers to send a servant to find Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner (Ch. 46). He also listens to Elizabeth's news about Lydia with concerned compassion. However, at this point in the story, Elizabeth still misjudges him by thinking that he now for certain no longer loves her due to her sister's disgrace. Yet, later, we learn that Darcy went with all speed to London, found Wickham, and bribed him into marrying Lydia, all for the sake of saving Elizabeth. Hence, it is at the moment Elizabeth learns Darcy bribed Wickham that the story truly begins to turn, making it the moment of climax. All action that leads up to the climax, including Elizabeth's initial rejection of Darcy, her change in feelings, and Lydia's actions, count as the rising action. All action leading to Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage count as the falling action.
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