Given what you know about Gainley’s written statement regarding the city council’s vote against Canyon Cove Chemicals’ plan for expansion, what do you think of Gainley’s chosen mode of expression—written words—and his decisions about how to present those words? Do you think his letter had the desired effect?
In an essay for his communications class, student—and Springfield resident—John Nikolakakis wrote the following analysis of Gainley’s letter:
In his letter to the city of Springfield, Gerald Gainley, the CEO of Canyon Cove Chemicals, expresses his “dismay” and, at times, disgust at a recent city council decision, in which the members voted against allowing the company to expand its facilities in north Springfield. He characterizes the city council members as shortsighted and essentially accuses them of putting the city in peril; that is, he doesn’t say it directly, but he does imply that the company could move to another city, and then Springfield would lose the support and economic donations of the company. Gainley also makes an interesting pledge to the city of Springfield.
Gainley makes two textual choices that are worth attention: his use of fonts and his use of all capital letters (ALL CAPS). Gainley has formatted his letter almost entirely in Comic Sans. The font looks handwritten and may be perceived as bubbly and childish. Some of Gainley’s critics have charged that the use of Comic Sans in this situation is inappropriate. If he were writing more formally, that criticism would be totally on the mark, but he wants the letter to be personal and to make him seem like a friend to its readers. The average Springfield citizen, Gainley’s audience, will likely feel that the font is approachable and appropriate for a personal appeal.
Interestingly, one sentence in the letter is not in Comic Sans. When Gainley pledges that Canyon Cove Chemicals “WILL DONATE TWICE AS MUCH IN THE COMING YEAR AS WE DONATED LAST YEAR” if the company is allowed to expand its facilities, the pledge is set in Times New Roman and ALL CAPS. Both of these formatting choices show that Gainley wants the statement to stand out from the rest of his letter and carry an official weight; he regards these words as a solemn oath to his readers.
When you analyze written words, it’s important to consider the composer’s choices of document type, font, and formatting. These choices may enhance or work against the composer’s intended message. As you develop your own interpretation of the overall meaning of the text, think about how genre, features, purpose, and intended audience affect the reader’s experience.