How is the underlined gerund used in the sentence?

his only action toward his goal was some wishing.

a.
predicate nominative

b.
direct object

c.
subject

d.
object of a preposition

Consider the campbell excerpt you read and dicks excerpt featured in the video. both science fiction examples discuss the use of futuristic technology. but how does the relationship between man and machinge differ in these two excerpts? cite examples from the excerpts to support your response.

From his studies of coptic, champollion knew that the egyptian word for "sun" was pronounced rah. he wrote down the first two letters of that sound, ra. next he put a question mark for the unknown middle hieroglyph. then, at the end, he wrote ss, the sound of the last two hieroglyphs. he studied the combination: ra ? ss. suddenly he remembered a famous pharaoh whose name appeared in ancient greek chronicles and also in the biblical book of exodus: rameses, or ramesses. could this be a hieroglyphic representation of ramesses' name? based on the excerpt, what detail did champollion need to conclude that the hieroglyphics might represent ramesses’s name?

What background knowledge would best support this inference about mario?