In the new wave of undergraduate education reform in China, the humanistic nature of the English major is stressed. As a result, a higher standard is set for the undergraduate teaching quality of the English major in the universities that aim high at building “world first-class disciplines,” especially in terms of humanistic thoughts and critical thinking abilities. Based on a definition of “reading” in the context of foreign literature teaching, this paper explores the “uses of literature” at both explicit and implicit levels, discusses how to carry out humanistic education through the teaching of literature to English major students, and analyzes the difficulties commonly encountered in the processes of textbook compilation and teaching practice through examples from Selected Readings in American Literature, with a view to clarify the significance of literary reading in the English major curriculum.