If you look at it the wrong way it looks bad because grey is kind of a plain color but you can make it look nice depending on what you use it on. In the book this shows because there isn't much hope for any of the ranch workers but they make the most of what they have and if they don't then they think that they are wasting it. I think that this relates to things today too because if you don't make the most of what you have you are wasting it.
You have to make the best of what you have and this a quote