What is the function of the italics in the "Darl" sections? HELP!

This is a very difficult
question. The answer is not necessarily "out there" to be found, as Faulkner's use of
italics in this novel are not entirely consistent.

We can see some
relationship between uses of the italics across the whole novel, where on many occassions the
italics represent moments of memory and/or private
thought. In Darl's case, this is not true, however, and italics in his sections
tend to be connected to danger and to Jewel.

The first temptation is to
interpret italics in Darl's sections as episodes of his "connection"
with his family. Darl has out-of-body experiences and is aware of things that he
has not physically witnessed. It might be a good way to read the italics in his sections as
moments where this connection is active.

This interpretation fails to explain
the italics used when the family is attempting to cross the creek.

Perhaps
the most likely explanation is a stylistic one. In Darl's sections, the use of italics functions
as a less impressionistic mode of prose than is used throughout the rest of his sections. So the
italics may simply be a way to contrast sentence styles without compromising the larger
consistency of the fabric of the prose.