What goes on in this chapter?
By this point in the book, Elizabeth starts to shift her views on Mr. Darcy and Wickham because of the letter she receives from Darcy. Let's start with why Mr. Darcy wrote this letter to begin with.
In the previous chapters, Elizabeth got into quite an argument with Mr. Darcy. What basically happened was that Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy that she found out everything he's done with Jane and Bingley's relationship, and with Mr. Wickham as well. Or at least what she was told happened.
The whole time, Darcy was like
Because what Elizabeth was told by Wickham was a lie. So she basically embarrassed herself.
Elizabeth was in denial of what she read about Wickham because when she first met him, he seemed like such a nice and understanding guy. "His countenance, voice, and manner, had established him at once in the possession of every virtue. She tried to recollect some instance of goodness, some distinguished trait of integrity or benevolence, that might rescue him from the attacks of Mr. Darcy...". But there was no recollection she could find. She couldn't deny that Mr. Darcy was actually right the whole time.When she goes back to the house, Elizabeth finds that Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy visited to say goodbye.
In the end Elizabeth, was like
Because she realized she was wrong all along and made herself look like an idiot. Elizabeth has come to accept that Darcy was right and she accepted her misjudgements. She also understood that she couldn’t really blame Darcy for breaking up Jane and Bingley. She realized that Jane wasn’t that affectionate and now that she thought about it, she remembered that Charlotte thought the same thing. So Elizabeth ended up not really being upset at Darcy, but at herself; for making herself look foolish. 
Important Quote Alert
“How despicably have I acted!” she cried; “I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity in useless or blameable distrust. How humiliating is this discovery! yet, how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment I never knew myself.”
Analysis of quote:
Elizabeth Bennet is the speaker of the quote and has been reading the letter that Darcy sent to her constantly. After reading the letter numerous amounts of times, she realizes the flaws in her character and what that means for her. She realizes that she is just as prejudiced and prideful as anyone else, and she let her own personal feelings deceive her. It took her THIS LONG to realize this while us readers already been knowing this. This is a significant shift in character as Elizabeth will probably now try to not be as prejudice and prideful as she was before.
Links:
