Islas reales y legendarias de Canarias en la literatura de los Estados Unidos, a propósito del descubrimiento de América

Resum

e literary texts by American writers selected for this essay deal with the Canaries and are loosely related with Columbus’ maiden voyage. Irving’s biography of Columbus and his fantastic tale «e Adalantado of the Seven Cities. A Legend of St. Brandan», Cooper’s Mercedes of Castile and Cranch’s poem «San Borondon» will be discussed, as well as Kingsolver’s 1992 version of «Where the Map Stopped». Like in Columbus’ time, the Canaries are regarded as a frontier between the Old and the New Worlds. is borderline implies the coexistence of two corresponding realms: the realm of reality and the realm of imagination. It is the jumping-off place for great sailing expeditions, as well as the site where fantastic nautical tales are readily believed. Kingsolver, who stayed in the Canaries as a self-exiled in protest against US war against Iraq, visited La Gomera. She too crossed the frontier to an ecological paradise, where ancient cultural elements have survived in –and in spite of– the cultural pressure of the Old World.