Final answer:
The student's question is about identifying the special interest group in Irving's work and interpreting whether Irving had sympathy for that group. Interest groups around laborers' and immigrants' rights emerged in the 1880s during America's industrialization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to which special interest group is represented in the work of Irving and suggests the need to identify Irving's sympathetic stance towards that group.
Special interest groups have long been a part of American history, becoming particularly prominent as the nation transitioned from an agrarian to an industrial economy in the 1880s.
At that time, interest groups formed around social issues such as workers' rights, child labor, and immigrant protections.
Given the context provided, Irving appears to have aligned with interest groups that focused on the plight of the less fortunate members of society, such as laborers and immigrants.
This is supported by the narrative's challenge to its readers—predominantly educated, financially secure individuals—to acknowledge and address the hardships faced by these lower-class individuals, a perspective that would evoke sympathy for those suffering from social injustices.