The prison imagery and travel plot in "Little Du Li" form a sharp contrast, and the novel explores the deep meaning of travel through the travels of the protagonist Clennam and Du Li's family. Scholars such as Buzad, Rem, Gephardt and Meisslen have analyzed the tourist image in the novel and Dickens' criticism of British intolerance from different perspectives. Dickens' travelogue 'Italian Scenery' does not comment on current affairs, but expresses concern for the tragic lives of the Italian people, reflecting the social criticism trend of travel literature in the 1840s. Dickens' residency experience in Italy gave him a profound understanding of the scenery and backwardness of Italy, and these observations and reflections are incorporated into 'Little Dorrit'.

The narrowness and limitations of 'tourists'

Through the Du Li family's trip to Italy in Little Du Li, this paper discusses the tradition and limitations of the British travel to Europe in the 19th century. Although Mr. Du Li spent money like water, he was unable to escape the troubles of prison life, while Little Du Li felt that traveling was no different from prison life. This article analyzes the tradition of "big travel" of British nobles and the upsurge of post-war British people to Europe, pointing out that Dickens was concerned about the social problems in Britain in the middle of the 19th century. The development of railways has changed the way of travel, giving birth to modern tourism, while the emergence of travel guides has affected the experience of tourists. Dickens criticized the blind fashion chasing, lack of independent thinking, and ignorance of local culture among British tourists at that time through his novels and 'Italian Scenery'. Mrs. Jenner represented the characteristics of tourists at that time, following travel guides and lacking personal insights. Although Xiao Duli has no cultural background, she is able to freely think and experience travel. Dickens believed that true travel should be a process of broadening horizons and increasing knowledge, rather than just for social status and cultural recognition. Mr. Du Li failed to achieve this goal, and his journey became a spiritual confinement.

The analogy between Italy and Britain

Through the perspective of Xiao Duli, the analogical relationship between Italy and Britain was explored. During her travels in Italy, Xiao Duli discovered that although Italy may appear glamorous on the outside, it is internally dilapidated and has similarities to the London prison she is familiar with. Dickens detailed in "The Italian Landscape" the filth of Italian cities, the misery of villages and towns, the backwardness of quarries, the decline of Venice and Rome, and the invasion of foreign powers, all of which reminded Little Durie of the problems of British society.