Objective: This study provides an analysis of child labor and its fate in two different cultures and histories through two literary works: Germinal by Emile Zola and The Children of the Carpet Weaver's House by Houshang Moradi Kermani. Moradi Kermani, within the framework of realism, and Zola, within the framework of naturalism, depict the harsh realities of child labor in two different societies and time periods. By incorporating themes of poverty, hereditary deprivation, and systematic injustice, this study highlights the importance of environmental and geographical determinism in shaping the fate of children.

Methods: The study adopts comparative literature method within the American school, examining the thematic, stylistic, and character-based dimensions of both texts. It explores intersections of literary schools (naturalism and realism), character development, narrative structure.

Results: Findings show that both novels portray child labor not merely as an individual issue but as a cultural and social subject. In Germinal, Zola uses naturalistic determinism to underscore how industrial capitalism reduces children to expendable labor, stripping them of agency and identity. Moradi Kermani, through realistic depiction, echoes similar concerns within a rural life, showing economic necessity perpetuate child exploitation. Both authors show the workplace - coal mines and carpet weaver's house - to reflect the dehumanizing conditions children endure.

Conclusions: The research concludes that child labor reflects social and economic injustices. The suffering of children is systematic, generational, and often invisible. Both stories ultimately emphasize the need for collective awareness and reform in the fight against child exploitation.