Blog Post #9

A rhetorical situation is pragmatic: meaning, it "comes into existence for the sake something beyond itself and ultimately produces an action or change in the world and performs some tasks. "
Bitzer defines a rhetorical situation with exigence. Exigence is an obstacle, obstructing something that is waiting to be done. However, things such as death or natural storms cannot be considered exigence because they are static; exigences have to be dynamic or able to change. Ultimately, an exigence is rhetorical when it can be changed positively and when the positive modification requires discourse. An example Bitzer uses is air pollution; it can be positively changed because air pollution can be reduced and the use of discourse, produces public awareness or some type of reaction to air pollution. The audience is another constituent. Audience is imperative for rhetoric because without an audience discourse could not be influenced and changed. The audience can be the thinker himself or the mind. Scientists and poets do not need an audience but do present their work to audiences. The audiences, however, are not necessarily people who induce change.
Constraints which are people, events, objects, and relations since they have the capability to constrain the decision and action needed to change the exigence or obstacle. Constraints include documents, facts, traditions, images, interests, and motives.