Character Analysis
There's a difference between being a good friend and being a good person, right? While Danny's friends can definitely be considered good old boys, Jesus Maria Corcoran might be the only one who could also be considered a good person. He's "a humanitarian, and kindness was always in him" (4.70). The guy just can't help it: whenever he finds people in need, he feels compelled to help them.
Sometimes this charitable spirit gets J.M. into trouble. For example, he's always buying presents—like undies and whiskey—for a certain Arabella Gross, but she just uses him and then takes off with her soldier buddies, leaving Jesus Maria looking like a real sucker. Of course, Jesus Maria doesn't just give Arabella gifts because he's a humanitarian; he's also totally into her.
But this is pretty much how he treats everybody.
Jesus Maria, like Pablo, is a follower. He's usually not the one who comes up with the great plans, but he always goes along with whatever Pilon schemes up. We know how he feels about his position in the group. When Pilon sends him into town to look for food, "Jesus Maria started for Monterey very reluctantly, but Pablo and Pilon walked happily down the hill toward Torrelli's house" (4.116).
See, he goes along with the plan, but he's reluctant about it. This might be connected to his so-called humanitarianism. He's probably not as into stealing and swindling as the other friends are, though he has to do it to survive.
The scene where Jesus Maria he has the best opportunity to show off his good deeds is when the Corporal shows up with his sick baby, and Jesus Maria is the first one to come to the rescue. That chapter opens with a description of Jesus Maria's heart and soul:
Jesus Maria Corcoran was a pathway for the humanities. Suffering he tried to relieve; sorrow he tried to assuage; happiness he shared. No hard nor haunted Jesus Maria existed. His heart was free for the use of anyone who had a use for it. His resources and wits were at the disposal of anyone who had less of either than had Jesus Maria. (10.1)
The values that are described here—generosity and a willingness to share with anyone in need—are classic Steinbeck. Steinbeck was interested in the way that people band together and help each other out in times of trouble. In this and other novels, he deals with the way that people form groups—or what he calls the "phalanx"—in order to survive tough conditions (source). Steinbeck doesn't always think this is a good thing, but he's always interested in the way the groups are put together.
Even if Steinbeck has some fancy political theory behind his idea of the group, Danny's friends see it in terms of religious morality:
Such was his reputation that Pilon had once said, "If that Jesus Maria had gone into the Church, Monterey would have had a saint for the calendar, I tell you."
Out of some deep pouch in his soul Jesus Maria drew kindness that renewed itself by withdrawal. (10.3-5)
Pilon is referring to the Catholic tradition of assigning a saint for each day of the year (many calendars have those names listed on each date). He means that Jesus Maria could have become a saint, thereby making Monterey famous. This also reminds us that Jesus Maria has a name that is pretty symbolically loaded – in the Catholic Church, it doesn't get much better than the big J.C. and Mary for good guys.
Also check out the rockin' financial metaphor Steinbeck uses to describe Jesus Maria's kindness. Instead of being like the normal banks (the ones that weren't giving out too much money during the Great Depression), the bank accounts of Jesus Maria grow whenever he takes money out of them. Sounds like a deal, right? That idea of a never-ending supply of kindness stands in stark contrast to the lack of money that most people were suffering from at the time, and it shows us just how good of a guy Jesus Maria is.