Through a survey of the “dream” stories in various genres, this course examines how a recurrent literary theme evolves into a powerful mode of expression and narration, a convenient and effective tool for authors from different ages to represent the ethos of their times. This “case study” of a literary mode provides a vivid example of how a literary tradition reinvents and revitalizes itself though its development. Students can also expect to become more sensitive to the distinctive generic features as well as the conventions of the major genres in Chinese literature.