In this course, the teacher will take the history of western literature asthe warp and the interpretation of classical works as the weft, helping thestudents to understand the value of literature, teaching them some methods ofreading the classics and leading them to find the history of western literaturethrough the “thematic-guided-reading.” The students will learn to reveal thewestern ideological and cultural factors behind the series of literary classicsfromHomer's Epic to Jorge Luis Borges'sThe Garden of Forking Paths.In addition to enhancing the students' literary attainment, the course can alsodeepen their understanding of the Western History and Thought, make themconsciously carry out the dialogue between Chinese and Western literature and culture,so as to understand the world and China, and effectively strengthen theirself-confidence in national culture.