“De padres a hijos” by Benito Pérez Armas

Many Graduate Spanish Literature programs in the US refer to the literature done in Spain as Peninsular Literature, using a terminology that discriminates non-peninsular territories like the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. The voice of the outskirt should also be listened, and fortunately we have books for that.

“De padres a hijos” is a novel written by Benito Pérez Armas, and published in 1901. This author was born in the island of Lanzarote, the Canary Islands. I have found very few things written about this author, but there is an article entitled “Benito Pérez Armas: Literatura e ideal regionalista”, by Gregorio J. Cabrera Déniz. It is also possible to find information about him in “La enciclopedia de la literatura canaria” edited by Centro de la Cultura Popular Canaria.

The plot, which occurs at the ending of the century, tells the love story of Víctor and Trina, whom represent the descendants of “los guanches”. In the nineteenth century, the term “guanche” was used to identify the population of the Canary Islands before the Spaniards conquered it. After getting married they had a baby girl, Pinillo. The couple’s happiness is destroyed by the intervention of an evil “cacique”, don Dimas, who is the incarnation of the Castilian conqueror. Dimas tried to rape Trina, and by a misunderstanding Victor thought that she cheated on him. After fighting Dimas and thinking that he killed him, Victor runs away to Costa Rica. However, Dimas did not die, and Trina never cheated on Victor. Several years later Victor found out the truth and returns to the island of Tenerife, but her wife had died of a broken heart, and her daughter was living in a hospice. Ironically Trina and Dimas died on the same day.

The romantic aesthetic and regionalism, which remember the pre-Hispanic culture of the Canary Islands, define this novel. In this novel, Benito Pérez Armas talks about a pure Canarian race, that he calls “guanche”, ignoring the cultural mix that conforms the islands. He not only ignores the fact that each island has its own identity, but also that it has been established by prehispanic cultures and external influences coming from Spain, America and Africa. It is a very short book that can be read in one day.