The appearance of Akaky as a ghost at the end of the story is a product of ... A central theme or purpose of Gogol's short story is to expose people's lack of compassion. ... The techniques of humor and satire would help you address the topic.
I personally am not 100% sure but my guess would be SAID as it is the only word showing an action.
<span>When the boys started hurting each other. They were acting like uncivilized, brutal, cruel, barbaric animals. </span>
