Counteracts the overemphasis on introspection that potentially limits composition students' progress in argumentation by endorsing a renewal of classical rhetoric and invention. Explores texts by William James and Sigmund Freud, which are suitable works to provide the framework necessary for a confrontation-based classroom approach to invention.…

Controversy and debate can be effectively employed as the central pre-writing activity in the composition classroom. The current model of prewriting in the composition classroom is the reflective model, which involves relatively private exploration of issues and ideas leading to paper topics. Although in the short run it is easier for both student…