“It was too vast a problem to be just a personal thing. There should be some help[...] before it was too late” (179). Explanation: Ponyboy is reflecting on his life after he reads Johnny’s message to him and the world that it was worth it to save the lives of kids he did not even know. Ponyboy realizes that coming from a fellow outsider that had gone through all the troubles and tragedies, other outsiders in the world like Johnny and Dally could be saved. He acknowledges that there is currently not anything out there that could help these troubled and tough teens get through their hard times. In this quote, Ponyboy is saying that there has to be a lot of boys out there that are going through similar things, and having gone gone through