In rhetoric, what describes exigence, with an example?

• A. Exigence is the overall purpose of the writing, not tied to a specific issue.
• B. Exigence is a stylistic device used to create emphasis.
• C. Exigence is the underlying reason prompting the writing—the issue or question the text aims to address; example: a student writes to address misinformation about climate change in a campus article.
• D. Exigence only applies to persuasive essays and not to other genres.

Answer: (C)

Exigence is the urgent problem or need that prompts a writer to speak or write—it's the specific issue the text aims to address at this moment. In practice, it locates why the piece exists here and now, for this audience, because something about the situation makes a response necessary. For example, a campus article tackling misinformation about climate change shows exigence: misinformation has created confusion or harm locally, and addressing it now becomes the purpose of the writing.

This helps distinguish exigence from broader aims or devices. It’s not simply the overall purpose of a piece, which can be broad and general; it’s the particular issue that creates pressure to respond. It’s not a stylistic device used for emphasis, and it isn’t limited to persuasive essays—exigence can arise in many genres whenever a specific problem or question motivates the text.