From the given quotation above, the correct indirect quotation for it that correctly sequences the verbs is: Rockwell said that he had been striving to completely capture everything. In the direct quotation, we notice that it uses the word 'always' + the past form of the verb. This indicates that an action was started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. This applies in describing habits. That's why, the answer is the third sentence.
Explanation
Answer:
personified object: The last cupcake
Human Quality: Talking/begging
