Marxism is a political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a nineteenth century philosopher, economist, and revolutionary. Marx drew on Hegel's philosophy, Adam Smith's politics, and 19th century French socialism to develop a critique of society (Das Capital) that he claimed was both scientific and revolutionary. Yet, a year before his death, Marx remarked to his son-in-law, Paul Lafargue, "What is certain is that I am no Marxist!" in essence dismissing his own writings.

Marxism was the ideology that inspired the creation of the Soviet Union in 1917, upon which the parody Animal Farm is based. Although there are still many Marxist revolutionary movements around the world, relatively few countries have Marxist governments in power today: Cuba, North Korea, and the People's Republic of China.

Marx wrote that "Religion is the opiate of the masses", meaning that it exists in order to blind people to the true state of affairs in a society, and thus makes them easier to control and manipulate. Although we only view the film of Animal Farm to gain insight, not to replace the reading or meaning of the novel, one of the excellent additions to the film version is that of the use of the TV. Prompt: In light of what we've now learned about Marxism and Karl Marx's statement about religion, how does Napoleon effectively use the TV? Is TV, in Animal Farm, the opiate of the masses?