Final answer:
Voltaire's Candide is a satire utilizing Absurd and Exaggerated Characters to mock philosophical ideas and social norms, while Cervantes's Don Quixote is the first modern novel due to its evolving characters.
Step-by-step explanation:
Voltaire made Candide a satire primarily through Absurd and Exaggerated Characters (B) and the ridiculous situations in which they find themselves. These characters, such as Pangloss who represents blind optimism, are used by Voltaire to mock the popular philosophical ideas of the time, particularly those of Leibniz and the notion that we live in 'the best of all possible worlds.' By employing exaggeration and absurdity, he exposes the folly of such optimism in the face of brutal reality. Additionally, Voltaire uses satire to critique social and political systems, the church, and human nature.
To answer the reference question, Cervantes's book, Don Quixote, is described as "the first modern novel" largely because The characters evolve throughout the story (B). This character development was innovative for its time and marked a significant departure from the static and archetype-driven characters of previous literary works.
As an especially vigorous advocate of intrinsic rights and freedoms, Voltaire's satire in Candide also aligns with his criticisms of the Catholic Church, the aristocracy, and the French monarchy, making his work not only humorous but also deeply socially and politically significant.