The prize must have come, at least in part, because alongside the poverty and dispossession, Steinbeck chronicled the Joads' refusal, even inability, to let go of their faltering but unmistakable hold on human dignity. Witnessing their degeneration from Oklahoma farmers to a diminished band of migrant workers is nothing short of crushing. The Joads lose family members to death and cowardice as they go, and are challenged by everything from weather to the authorities to the California locals themselves. As Tom Joad puts it: "They're a-workin' away at our spirits. They're a tryin' to make us cringe an' crawl like a whipped bitch. They tryin' to break us. Why, Jesus Christ, Ma, they comes a time when the on'y way a fella can keep his decency is by takin' a sock at a cop. They're workin' on our decency."

The point, though, is that decency remains intact, if somewhat battle-scarred, and this, as much as the depression and the plight of the "Okies," is a part of American history. When the California of their dreams proves to be less than edenic, Ma tells Tom: "You got to have patience. Why, Tom--us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people--we go on." It's almost as if she's talking about the very novel she inhabits, for Steinbeck's characters, more than most literary creations, do go on. They continue, now as much as ever, to illuminate and humanize an era for generations of readers who, thankfully, have no experiential point of reference for understanding the depression. The book's final, haunting image of Rose of Sharon--Rosasharn, as they call her--the eldest Joad daughter, forcing the milk intended for her stillborn baby onto a starving stranger, is a lesson on the grandest scale. "'You got to,'" she says, simply. And so do we all. --Melanie Rehak

Norton Confidential automatically inspects Web sites—and potentially dangerous or identity-stealing programs on your PC—for known threats and suspicious behavior before you log in, make a purchase, or otherwise interact with them. If a threat is detected, Norton Confidential protects your passwords and other confidential information from an attack—such as getting phished by fraudulent Web sites, or having your keystrokes secretly recorded by identity thieves.

When you visit a Web site on the Internet, domain servers translate the domain name into an IP addresses. View larger.

In a pharming scam, a criminal programer hacks into a domain server and sends you to a fake Web site, which could trick you into submitting a username and password. To prevent pharming, Norton Confidential gives you a visual confirmation that a Web page has been verified as belonging to the company represented. View larger.

Anti-Phishing Fraudulent Web Site Protection
Norton Confidential includes an Internet Explorer Toolbar Plug-in that helps you to see Web page risk status at any time. The software filters and blocks phishing Web sites to help ensure you do not inadvertently give personal information to a fraudulent site. Norton Confidential provides a visual categorization for authentic sites, good sites, suspicious sites, and bad sites, making it easy for you to know status as you shop and browse online.

Anti-Pharming Protection
In addition to blocking fraudulent or suspicious sites, Norton Confidential authenticates top banking and shopping transaction sites to provide a global multi-layer shielding protection. You'll get a visual confirmation that a Web page has been verified by Symantec as belonging to the company represented—or in simple terms, the site is really who it says it is.

Signature and Behavioral Crimeware Blocking
Norton Confidential protects users from hidden crimeware designed to steal confidential or personally identifying information. While detecting and removing known threats, there is minimal disruption for the user—Norton Confidential works in the background. Norton Confidential is designed to coexist with Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security in addition to competitive antivirus and Internet security solutions. Even if you already use one layer of computer protection, Norton Confidential adds another layer of protection, specifically for online threats with financial damage potential.

InfoVault Login and Password Protection
Norton Confidential automatically detects, stores and protects your logins and passwords. You can then use one "master" password instead of countless individual Web site logins; individual passwords and protected by the master password. Norton Confidential prevents users from inadvertently sending password and login information to unauthorized sites, and provides convenient way to migrate stored passwords from Norton Password Manager.

A Real-time Integrated Solution
Norton Confidential is one of the only fully integrated solution that protects against both phishing and crimeware at the point of transaction. Most solutions provide protection against one vector requiring users to "piece together" their safety status and/or are not "transaction sensitive".

Intelligent Prevention
Norton Confidential uses advanced heuristics to provide zero-hour protection from online identity theft without requiring known phishing URLs or crimeware definitions. Other solutions rely heavily on signatures, which are insufficient for protection from quickly evolving threats.

Effortless Protection
Norton Confidential is the only solution that allows you to complete their transactions uninterrupted by offering behavior blocking technology that prevents suspicious applications from capturing sensitive information.

For Your Eyes Only
Password protection prevents you from accidentally submitting your passwords to unauthorized sites—providing a failsafe against emerging phishing attacks.

Symantec Response Expertise
Norton Confidential is the only consumer security solution that authenticates secure Web sites and does so without requiring the Web sites to make any changes to their sites. Symantec Response team on-going Web site profiling delivers in-depth protection for popular banking, shopping and eCommerce sites.