10-5 homework

1.     Question: How would you define exigence? Why does exigence matter in rhetorical situations?

a.     I would define exigence by saying it is a problem or need that can be addressed by communication. Exigence matters in rhetorical situations because sometimes in the rhetorical situations people don’t want to come straight out and tell you, you need to buy their product but they try to persuade you. Or people don’t come right out and tell you something but they hint around it so you do what they want you to do.

2.     Question: What are constraints? To help you work this out, consider what Grant-Davie’s constraints might have been in drafting this piece. Bitzer, you learned in this piece, argues that we should think of constraints as aids rather than restrictions. How can that be?

a.     Constraints are the hardest of the rhetorical situations components to define neatly because they can include so many different things. Bitzer defines them as persons, events, objects, and relations that are part of the situation because they have the power to constrain decision and action needed to modify the exigence. Bitzer also says we should think of constraints as aids instead of restrictions. I think this is true because constraints play a big role in rhetorical situations.

3.     Question: As a writer, how would it help you to be aware of your rhetorical situation and the constraints it creates?

a.     As a writer, it is important to be aware of you rhetorical situation because it is very important when you are reading or writing. You should be aware of the constraints it creates because constraints are the people, events, objects, and relations.