Boyz N The Hood makes great use of archetypal characters to further relate its story to that of the real world. Ricky is, in many ways, the prototypical, All-American boy. Throughout the film he is consistently seen either holding a football, wearing a football jersey, or watching football on TV. Ricky is frequently viewed drinking milk out of a carton, an image evocative of the wholesome American boy. He is well behaved, but possesses limited scholastic potential, instead viewing school as a means through which to play football. He is also easily influenced, deciding to join the Army shortly after seeing a recruiting commercial on TV. Conversely, Doughboy is the quintessential vision of the inner city gangsta. He is aggressive, engages in criminal acts of violence, drinks forties of malt liquor, and shows distrust and hatred towards authority figures. This image is strengthened through the reflexivity of casting Ice Cube, a well established musician in the genre of gangsta rap, as Doughboy. Finally, Tré is a prime example of the ambitious, responsible advocate of change. In several ways he is a middle ground between the extremes of Ricky and Doughboy. Many of Tré's personality traits, such as his views on the Army, are instilled in him by Furious, his father. This is notable in that it is the only relationship of its kind in the film, and is therefore presented to the audience as the definitive model of the father/son relationship. It is important to note that the word