Why does Pollan uses italicized dates? the importance of parallel maybe?

The first thing to notice about the way Pollan uses his italicized dates on the chapter of the potato is that they are divided between the present-modern day and past. They are used to emphasize parallels between what things of importance to the potato are happening now and the things of importance that happened regarding the potato back them. That, the key: that all dates in this chapter are in one way or another Very important to understand the history and progression of the potato, and so both parallel Both parallels start with the beginning of the potato: the “past” dates are chronicles of the evolution and progression of the original potato.. The past dates describe the grow and cultivation of the potato, and how it began to take form in 1532, its introduction to Europe and its assimilation to the Irish food-choices in 1588, how the opposition to it began to escalate the challenge of England to the potato in 1794, and finally the period of “the potato famine” and its devastating effects on the Irish in 1846. The “modern day” dates chronicle the progression of the “new” potato- The New Leaf. But, there is another difference: while the “past” chronicles of the potato emphasize a year and place, the modern chronicles emphasize the days and months: showing step-by-step the growth of the potato. This distinction makes the past chronicles focus on the general influence of the potato as a “mother” plant, and the modern day emphasize on the progression and influence of the New Leaf potato as the “offspring” plant. In the past chronicle is about the potato influence on people and the modern about people influencing the nature of the potato. In the end both set of dates come full circle- The past show how the potato came to us and what it brought and the modern day shows the uncertain “re-birth” of the potato and its future role in nature and in people food choice.