1. According to Kenneth Burke's parlor metaphor, how does each essay or speech function within an ongoing conversation?

2. Define exigence, purpose, audience, writer, context, and message as they relate to the rhetorical situation.

1. How does exigence function as the spark that prompts a writer or speaker to create a text?

2. What are examples of situations that could serve as exigence for writing?

3. How can you describe the relationship between exigence and writing?

1. What does purpose mean and what does a writer hope to accomplish through purpose?

2. What are different types of purposes a writer might have, and how might each type influence the writer's method?

3. How can purpose be expressed in a text—either explicitly or implicitly?

1. How are exigence, purpose, and audience interconnected in the rhetorical situation?

2. Why is understanding an audience's values, beliefs, history, and needs essential for effective persuasion?

3. How does the example of the student's text message conversations demonstrate the relationship between audience and strategic communication choices?

4. How can a writer make strategic choices based on audience values without being dishonest?

1. What three immediate elements make up the context of a piece of writing?

2. What is broader context and how does it differ from immediate context?

3. How do the broader contexts or 'worlds' of an argument add dimension to a writer's message?

4. How should a writer approach joining an ongoing conversation about a topic?