The goal of a newspaper article is to inform the reader about a topic, but it also attempts to evoke a response or thought of some kind. “Housing, Baseball, and Creeping Socialism The Battle of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles, 1949-1959” by Thomas S. Hines provokes a reaction from the beginning by failing to include an abstract to aid the reader. If I didn't have a past in Chavez Ravine, this would be a crucial oversight. Once the essay begins, Hines delves directly into Chavez Ravine, the architects behind the housing project there, and the socialist controversy that doomed the project, eliciting from me a variety of responses ranging from frustration to sympathy. From the first sentence, Hines dives into the article as if the reader already has background information about Chavez Ravine. He mentions the “315-acre plot of hilly, wooded, picturesquely 'rural' land very close to the center of downtown Los Angeles” but neglects to explain why (Hines 123). Since the article does not include any abstract, I had to guess the purpose of Hines' article. After continuing to describe how the area would be cleared for new public housing, Hines begins to unsettle me. Since I have read other articles about Chavez Ravine, I know that his information is correct and not difficult to understand; however, without a purpose, his writing seems pointless. It simply lays out the information in chronological order without any direction. His technique does not create suspense or anticipation by neglecting the purpose, rather it seems that Hines is rambling and failing to lead his audience. By providing biographies of architects Richard Neutra and Robert Alexander, Hines does nothing to remedy his aimless writing. He writes that Neutra had a variety of experiences as an archi...... middle of paper ...... who "poignantly publicized previous evictions [...] [but] remained silent in subsequent moves" (Hines 141 ). They should have shown enough pride to admit the effects of their smear campaign. Hines' article, while having no clear purpose, provides an in-depth history of the entire Elysian Park Heights project. Sums up Chavez Ravine, the architects and their vision, and the collapse of the project due to fears of socialism and the desire for baseball. Hines' writing actually triggers a range of emotions, mainly anger and shock at the situation that has occurred. While he provides no introduction to the reader, with the conclusion, Hines certainly provides a reason to respond. Works Cited Hines, Thomas S. "Housing, Baseball, and Creeping Socialism The Battle of Chavez Ravine, Los Angeles, 1949-1959." Journal of Urban History, 8.2 (1982): 123-143. Press.