Boyz in D Hood

A Stereotypical Black Woman: Single Mother’s Roles in Boyz in D Hood The movie chronicles the story of a Black American boy named Tre and his friends in an all Black community. He and his friends grew up aspiring to become someone in the society. Both are raised by single parents: Tre by his father and Ricky by his mother. While Tre’s father is portrayed in a positive way, the mothers (both Tre’s and Ricky’s) were portrayed in the most traditional ways as pointed out by Professor Michele Wallace.

Women are portrayed in their traditional roles which are very limiting especially in an era where women empowerment has already been advocated. These traditional roles include being a housewife, taking care of children, cooking, cleaning the house, serving food for guests. In other words, women are still constrained in their domestic roles. For instance, Ricky’s mother is seen only inside the house. She occasionally goes outside but only on the front door to remind her children before they leave for school.

In particular, she is seen in the party cooking, taking care of guests, and serving food. She is restricted to this kind of role and nothing else. At the same time, Tre’s mother is also portrayed as a stereotypical woman. Although she is not portrayed in her domestic roles, she is portrayed as someone who is a subordinate to her husband, Tre’s father Furious. This is because she had to surrender his son to him when she felt that she is not capable of raising him the right way.
When she wanted to bring Tre back and Furious refused, she succumbed to that. She has to accept that it is Furious, the husband, who has the last say when it comes to their son. This means that the only role that a woman is allowed in this film is her domestic role. In any case that she defy this role, then she will be alienated with all her happiness such as the presence and love of a son in case of Tre’s mother.