Boyz in the Hood Essay

Boyz in the Hood is a vivid video representation of what life is like for those who live in the hood. There are two families that were the focus within the movie: The Styles and The Bakers. The director of the movie, John Singleton, wants his viewers to compare the lives of the individuals within the movie to their own lives so there could be a change in our society. He discretely expresses the importance of a good upbringing by a fatherly figure. I believe that this made the difference with the two families. It made all the difference to be brought up in the right circumstances. The two families were brought up in a lower class part of Los Angeles. The area is a low income neighborhood with the homes in need of much repair. In the movie there is un-cut grass and un-raked leaves cumbering the ground. The paint on the walls is chipped and dull. The movie shows Tre at a young age sent to his father Furious. Tre and the Bakers children, Doughboy and Ricky become good friends throughout their teen years. It is interesting that these kids would get into so much trouble by just trying to find things to keep them occupied. In one scene of the movie, Ricky took a football as they were walking around town. A group of teenagers eyed the ball and desired to take it. With a little contention they stole the ball. After a small conflict, they got the ball back. There were many differences between the two families. The Baker family did not have a male figure in the home. The mother, Brenda tended to take care of the kids on her own. In the Styles home there was no father because Tre’s mom and dad, Reva and Furious separated. Even though Furious did not live with his family, he was around to help Tre become a man. When Tre’ was in the middle years of elementary school, he made an agreement with his parents that if he got into trouble, he would be sent to live with his dad. Indeed that ended up happening and he lived with his father till he was around 20 years old. During these years, he learned many things that helped prepare him for life. There was one pivotal point within the move that helped illustrate this. On a clear, beautiful day Tre and Furious went fishing. There was an ulterior motive to spending that type of quality time. It gave Furious and Tre the opportunity to communicate. Furious could give insight and ask Tre questions. Furious states, â€Å"Black man aint got no place in the army. † He offers his fatherly council to impress Tre not to join the army. Also within the boat Furious asks Tre what he knows about sex. After a short remark from Tre, his dad says, â€Å"Only a real man can raise children. † This comment made a big influence on Tre whether he knew it or not. Through his teen years, he maintained his virtue. Doughboy and Ricky Styles on the other hand did not have the fatherly council that Furious offered to Tre. They were left to themselves to learn how to become men. Their mother, Brenda, was not the best example for them while they were children. She would call them names that I would never imagine would come out of a mother’s mouth. The lack of respect for women is a good indicator of the lack of fatherly influence for the Styles. Doughboy thought he was tough. He thought that he was superior to all around him. His attitude might have contributed to him being in jail. After getting out of jail, he had nothing going for him. He would hang around the porch with his thug buddies. Ricky was in a better frame of mind with regards to his future. He wanted to get an education while playing football for the University of California in Loa Angeles. I believe that Ricky turned out better because Tre became his fatherly figure. Ricky and Tre were best friends. They wanted each other to succeed in life and would do anything for each other. While Tre first moved in with his dad, Furious blurted a statement that came true many years later. He says, â€Å"you’re gonna see how they end up too. † He was referring to the Styles children who were young at the time. There is a fulfillment of this prophesy at the end of the movie. Both Ricky and Doughboy end up being tragically shot and killed. I really had a hard time with the fact that Ricky died. Despite his upbringing, he had things going for him. The examples that were set forth within the movie vividly gives food for thought of what we can do to make a difference. For Tre, he was fortunate to have well educated parents that showed good examples. The Styles children lacked these aspects and it played an important roll on how they turned out. Therefore, if the movie accurately portrays the outcome of such circumstances, then we need to make a difference in society by starting in the home. By raising children in an environment that will help them make wise critical decisions, I believe this will accomplish what director John Shingleton wanted to convey to his viewers.