It was not uncommon to hear gunshots every night, followed by screams, sirens, and helicopters. Even as a young boy, Tre and his friends would wander around the neighborhood witnessing hordes of gang males marking their territory by drinking, selling drugs and causing fights. Tre was put in a complex situation because although he adhered to his father's advice when it came to his individual decisions, his love and camaraderie with his neighborhood friends put him in danger. Miller states, "Living in these neighborhoods mean living in places with substantial amounts of crime" (40). On numerous occasions he had to dodge flying bullets or back up friends in a fight. His father could not shield him from this exposure yet his teachings and positive involvement in Tre's life governed his personal decisions. That played a crucial role towards the end of the movie when Tre was the only one to witness Ricky being gunned down in an alley. Instead of succumbing to his rage and retaliating against the murderers with Dougboy, Tre decided to not perpetuate the violence and to deal with his grief. Unfortunately, Doughboy grew up in a different home environment and that ruled his reaction and eventually led to his own death. .
Doughboy was by no means a source of pride for his mother. She was constantly yelling ant him, accusing him of being worthless and amounting to nothing. She relentlessly asked him, "Why can't you be like your brother?" This lack of acknowledgement and verbal abuse pushed Doughboy to seek comfort on the streets. Throughout the film, he is constantly loitering around in the neighborhood and on his front porch leaving himself open to violence and to conflict. He was continually in the shadow of his brother Ricky. Miller finds that "family has long been considered crucial for understanding delinquency and gang behavior.Problems such as weak supervision, lack of attachment- (45). Undisputedly, Doughboy loved Ricky with all of his heart yet undoubtedly felt the pressure of never being able to live up to the achievements Ricky made.
