Under Milk Wood
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Themes
All Themes Nostalgia Storytelling and Ordinary Life Intimacy Resilience and Redemption  Nature vs. Society  Gossip and Community
Quotes
Characters
All Characters First Voice Second Voice Captain Cat Polly Garter Reverend Eli Jenkins Mr. Mog Edwards Miss Myfanwy Price Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard Lily Smalls Gossamer Beynon Mary Ann Sailors Mrs. Dai Bread Two Nogood Boyo Voice of a Guide-Book Mrs. Pugh Sinbad Sailors
Symbols
All Symbols Milk Wood/Llareggub Hill Water
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Under Milk Wood

by

Dylan Thomas
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Nogood Boyo Character Analysis

Nogood Boyo is a lazy, mischievous fisherman. He dreams of “nothing” and has dirty thoughts about Mrs. Dai Bread Two in a wet corset. He claims that he “want[s] to be good Boyo, but no one’ll let [him].” At the end of the novel, he fools around with Lily Smalls in the wash-house.

Nogood Boyo Quotes in Under Milk Wood

The Under Milk Wood quotes below are all either spoken by Nogood Boyo or refer to Nogood Boyo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Nostalgia Theme Icon
).
Under Milk Wood Quotes

SECOND VOICE. Fishermen grumble to their nets. Nogood Boyo goes out in the dinghy Zanzibar, ships the oars, drifts slowly in the dab–filled bay, and, lying on his back in the unbaled water, among crabs’ legs and tangled lines, looks up at the spring sky.

NOGOOD BOYO. (Softly, lazily) I don’t know who’s up there and I don’t care.

Related Characters: Second Voice (speaker), Nogood Boyo (speaker), First Voice
Related Symbols: Water
Storytelling and Ordinary Life Theme Icon
Resilience and Redemption  Theme Icon
Nature vs. Society  Theme Icon
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:

I want to be a good Boyo, but nobody’ll let me.

Related Characters: Nogood Boyo (speaker), Mrs. Dai Bread Two
Related Symbols: Water
Storytelling and Ordinary Life Theme Icon
Intimacy Theme Icon
Resilience and Redemption  Theme Icon
Nature vs. Society  Theme Icon
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
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Under Milk Wood PDF

Nogood Boyo Quotes in Under Milk Wood

The Under Milk Wood quotes below are all either spoken by Nogood Boyo or refer to Nogood Boyo. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Nostalgia Theme Icon
).
Under Milk Wood Quotes

SECOND VOICE. Fishermen grumble to their nets. Nogood Boyo goes out in the dinghy Zanzibar, ships the oars, drifts slowly in the dab–filled bay, and, lying on his back in the unbaled water, among crabs’ legs and tangled lines, looks up at the spring sky.

NOGOOD BOYO. (Softly, lazily) I don’t know who’s up there and I don’t care.

Related Characters: Second Voice (speaker), Nogood Boyo (speaker), First Voice
Related Symbols: Water
Storytelling and Ordinary Life Theme Icon
Resilience and Redemption  Theme Icon
Nature vs. Society  Theme Icon
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:

I want to be a good Boyo, but nobody’ll let me.

Related Characters: Nogood Boyo (speaker), Mrs. Dai Bread Two
Related Symbols: Water
Storytelling and Ordinary Life Theme Icon
Intimacy Theme Icon
Resilience and Redemption  Theme Icon
Nature vs. Society  Theme Icon
Page Number: 80
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock with LitCharts A+
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