On the surface level, this quote just shows Lennie's anger at himself after killing a puppy. He is mad at himself for killing this small animal that he was so excited to have as a pet. With Lennie's strength and interest in feeling textures, he commonly kills small animals like the mice his aunt used to give him. The mice and puppy symbolize the victory of strength over weakness. The small mouse and puppy are small innocent animals. In comparison, Lennie is a strong large man with so much strength he does not know what do with it. The deeper meaning of this quote is that innocence can be a very harmful trait to have. Both the puppy and mice were just little animals without much experience of the world and Lennie is no different. (Interpreting)
