Boyz N The Hood Styles

Development, a word that defines how drastically the world has changed in the past century. Cities and countries around the world are booming with economic prosperity and opportunities that it is often hard to see the negativity of development. However, often what is overlooked is the minority who suffer at the expense of the same development that appeases the majority. In order for the majority to enjoy this new world, many have been displaced and have lost their livelihood, and are subsequently forced into dilemmas that there are only two choices for: do whatever you can to survive, or die trying. By examining the film, Boyz n The Hood by John Singleton, it is evident that policies of development and displacement perpetuated by governments

The movie revolves around Tre Styles, a young African American male growing up in the Crenshaw neighbourhood of South Central LA. The movie depicts Tre as an intelligent, young man who is guided by his father, Furious, who strongly encourages Tre to avoid falling victim to the violence that surrounds them. Tre’s friends involve Ricky, a high school football star looking to get into college and avoid the gang banging life while his half-brother, Doughboy, is a gangbanger for the Crips. Tensions rise and rise until finally members of the Bloods, a rival gang, shoot and kill Ricky. Tre and Doughboy swear to avenge Ricky, and Tre almost succumbs to a life of crime until he remembers his father’s words and turns back. Doughboy however, finds the Blood members responsible and shoots them dead, which results in him being murdered two weeks later. While this movie does not explicitly show how development in the area resulted to crime ridden neighbourhoods, it shows the devastating effects and how much of the youth there, as much as they try to avoid crime and gangbanging, end up falling victim to it anyways, like Ricky. As depicted in the movie, growing up around violence led Doughboy and his friends to become violent as it was the only way to survive (1991). This is how Boyz n The Hood displays the effects development has