Don Quixote, written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, is a book of "firsts." Written in 1605, it is widely considered to be the first modern novel. It was also the first book to tackle subjects such as eating disorders.
Another "first" is the authorial perspective, i.e. who tells the story and how it is told. In the beginning of the book, Cervantes explains that he found the book and that it was actually written by Don Quixote's chronicler, a man named Cide Hamete Benengeli. Cervantes was likely one of the first authors to claim that his own book was actually written by another, fictional author.
Additionally, Cervantes may have been one of the first authors to give readers multiple perspectives on his characters. For example, at one point in the book, the characters talk about a woman who is the cause of the death of a suitor, portraying her as evil. Later, this same woman gives a different perspective entirely that makes Quixote (and thus the reader) defend her. At other points in the book, Cervantes gives an incomplete perspective. For example, when Quixote enters a cave, Cervantes admits to the reader that he does not know what happened afterward.
One of the most obvious of the novel's "firsts" is the adjective quixotic, which arose from the book's title and protagonist. The word is understood to mean "the foolishly impractical pursuit of ideals, typically marked with rash and lofty romantic ideals."
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What is the central idea of this passage?
A.
Don Quixote tackled unusual subjects.
B.
Don Quixote is a book of "firsts."
C.
Don Quixote was the first modern novel.
D.
Don Quixote was written by a fictional author.