Huxley is commenting that most people in society prefer to live in "happy ignorance" as opposed to having knowledge. The stars, or truth, are "depressing."
This is because that many find the truth upsetting and would prefer to live in the dark. Huxley is saying that for many, ignorance is bliss.
In the story written by John Steinbeck, it can be seen that the turtle was into a lot of hardship from the state of the road, the grassland, and the person from a truck passing by which almost tipped it over. The turtle is a symbol of perseverance, transformation through struggles, and aggression.
A collective fear can lead to irrational actions and violation of rights. This is the theme common with The Crucible and the World War II. An example is when Japanese Americans were imprisoned without enough evidences. The war has the highest number of casualties making it the deadliest among other wars.
