Student Question

What does the quote "...the opiate of the masses" mean in Freak the Mighty?

Quick answer:

In "Freak the Mighty," the phrase "opiate of the massives" is a play on Karl Marx's quote about religion being the "opiate of the masses." Here, Freak refers to TV as the opiate, suggesting it dulls people's senses and makes them indifferent, much like a drug. He humorously tweaks the phrase by using "massives" to describe people absorbed by TV, implying that it numbs their awareness and engagement with reality.

Expert Answers

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There is a famous quote from Karl Marx that says that religion is the opiate of the masses.  However, in this book, the phrase is "opiate of the massives."  Freak gets it a little bit wrong.

Instead of religion, Freak is talking about TV.  He says that it is the opiate of the masses.  What this means is that it is a drug that lulls them into being dull and not really caring about things.  (That's because an opiate is a drug like opium or morphine that serves to dull a person's senses.)  He says that "massives" are fat heads and that TV is their opiate.

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