The hobo's comment is designed to show that suffering is
relative. The hobo is older than the soliers who are locked with him in the box car, and
this gives him more things to compare their situation
with.
For example, the young people in the car may feel
hungry after not having eaten for a few hours, but the hobo may have not eaten for
several days. He can, thus, see the young people's situation as a relatively cheerful
one.
Also, please note that in this scene the condition of
the soliers in the box car is about to get much
worse.
Furthermore, German soldiers are writing on boxcars
that will probaby take many nearby Jewish passengers to death
camps.
In sum, the situation of the young soldier, who
talks with the hobo isn't good, but in relative terms, we have to say that, it could be
much worse.
We're left feeling cheerful, but only in an
ironic sense.
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