In this work there are presented and analyzed the forces of good and evil that shape the major characters in some selected works of John Steinbeck. An approach to the Steinbeck hero is achieved through the prism of own psychological thinking in the first place and by making use of important works of literary criticism related to the topic. Intricate family relationships......mysterious, non- conformist women...tergiversating words....the process of decision making.....these are all concepts that can easily become interrelated because when family doesn't work properly, women become seceded from it and live in a world of their own and decision making is always a milestone and a reminder of irreversibility in life; also all their dreams and expectations come to carry them through hard times acting like a persuasive force, but also as a destructive one. It is an in-depth humane observation of simple people who must show grace under pressure.