A Million Acres Can't Buy Happiness

"If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it 'cause he feels awful poor inside hisself, and if he's poor inside hisself, there ain't no million acres gonna make him feel rich, an maybe he's disappointed that nothin' he can do'll make him feel rich-not rich like Mis' Wilson was when she give her tent when Grampa died." - Casy

To me, this moment in the chapter speaks of desperation, and trying to gain happiness through material things.  No matter how much a person has on the outside, the only way to true happiness is what they have on the inside.  Getting to California to make money and live a better life is a nice dream, but true riches lie in those you hold dear.  Its the people that matter most....not the land or money.

I believe wisdom is the second theme in this chapter.  Some folks have it, and are returning from "the promised land" to their homes, so they can starve to death surrounded by people they know.  This wisdom is gained through their experiences in California, and they want to share this wisdom, but are aware that those still traveling west won't know true wisdom until they feel what it is to be broken by the land called California.  The father and son that were traveling back east were hesitant to tell the Joads about California, but the man tells them anyway.  In the last moment of that scene, after the boy says that the Joads asked for the information, the man says "Yeah, I know.  But like that fella says, they're a-goin' anyways.  Nothin' won't change from what I tol' 'em, 'cept they'll be mis'able 'fore they hafta." 

Wisdom is not just knowledge, but knowing.  You can have knowledge of someone, but not truly know them.  You can have knowledge of a job, but not really know it.  Knowledge is a part of it, but with knowledge you need experience.  You have to go through it to get the feelings of it.  There is an old adage that says "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".  I believe this applies to the wisdom you gain through once you put yourself into a situation wholeheartedly.  Another example is relationships.  You can date someone for years, and think you know them more than anyone else in the whole world.  Move in together and you will learn how much you didn't really know.  Good or bad, that is wisdom.