Boyz n' the Hood

1) In Boyz n' the Hood most characters put on the from of a "tough guise" to protect themselves (as they see it) based on the neighborhood they live in and the people they're associated with. Trey, and Doughboy are the main characters associated with putting on the tough guise act, more so even Doughboy than Trey. Trey puts on the act initially in front of his friends but when his inner-self comes out the act disappears (for instance, the scenes in the movie when he allows himself to cry in front of the boys, his father, and Brandi.) Doughboy on the other hand almost always puts on his front as the "tough guy" of the group; not even baring to cry when his own brother was shot even though at certain parts of the movie when he breaks out of his shell. I think the reason this act is put into place is because they feel they need to be strong for each other and because of where they live, you can't afford to be weak. The characters portrayed in the film and the "Better Men" would probably be Ricky and Trey being that Ricky is going off to college and trying to make something of himself, and Trey because he refuses to stay in the car to go shoot the opposing gang and stopp down to the level that got them all in the mess in the first place.
2) In the film, to be a "Real Man" is defined differently between two perspectives. In the perspective of Furious Styles (Trey's father) being a man is knowing when to stop the violence and walk away; to respect those who respect you and pay no mind to those who don't. The way the boys all see is though is a completely different lens. To them, being a man means not crying, protecting your boys and not having any type of emotion at all. "Real Man" basically means being a tough robot without emotions.