"Western rhetorical traditions…have tended to value speech and writing as the best (if not the only) evidence of rhetorical production…silence is widely and popularly perceived in western societies as a lack or as evidence of annihilation" (Glenn and Ratcliffe 280). History, specifically in the Greek and Roman eras, has proved speech and writing to be valued over silence. The benefits attributed to speech and writing logically have power; however, the attributes of silence have been overlooked by western rhetorical traditions.

As time has gone on, Western ideals have followed a similar course as those of the orators and wordsmiths of old. Even in our entertainment, our focus on action and continuous speaking along with avoiding too much silence is evident. However, Japanese lifestyles, and specifically their films, have found the beauty and purpose in silence. Hayao Miyazaki explains how Studio Ghibli works to intentionally put these moments of realistic silence in his films.

From the words of Hayao Miyazaki himself, “It’s called ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally.”

In Japanese aesthetics there is a concept called ma. In architecture ma is the space between the walls of a building, in ink drawings it is the white between the lines on the paper and in music it is the silence between the sounds. Ma is not part of the composition, but it is what the person in the building, the person looking at the drawing or the person listening to the music experiences. Ma is non-form, non-line or non-sound. But at the same time it is part of the building, drawing or music, because without it there would be chaos of only walls, lines or sound. Ma is non-form, but form cannot exist without it. Ma is the possibility of form. This simultaneous being and not-being is essentially Zen (Davidvanooijen.wordpress.com)

Ma is connected to Zen which is a practice in Eastern philosophy of the awareness of one’s being. In Japan, ma is utilized throughout their culture. In one article, ma was even mentioned to be used in the time it takes to bow to one another before starting a discussion. That moment of silence during the bow is an intentional beat before the sound starts to allow both speakers to think about who and what they are speaking to and about.

Ma is also mentioned as the important time for growth. “Ma is the fundamental time and space from which life needs to grow. Space for the…psyche directly impacts the individual’s progress…they enhance the way one thinks and how one engages with one’s surroundings” (talkaboutjapan.com). Becoming aware of these spaces whether physical, verbal, or metaphorical, can help a person use those times for their own personal growth.

Questioning and reflection are important abilities that many students in America struggle with because the concept of continual movement and action is so prevalent in Western culture. Silence is considered awkward when it is actually necessary for growth and reflection. These are the moments that are added into Miyazaki’s movies that have become infamous for their intentional use of ma.

In a 2002 interview with Miyazaki, Roger Ebert mentioned these moments in Miyazaki’s films that he noticed. In the article explaining it later, he writes, “I love the ‘gratuitous motion’ in his films; instead of every moment being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or they will sigh, or look in a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story, but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are” (RogerEbert.com). These moments that Ebert refers to are included in every one of Miyazaki’s films. Miyazaki is named the master of ma for this reason; he utilizes ma in a way that develops the story, makes the characters relatable, and builds complex worlds.

Another example shown in picture below comes from Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle. As the main character Sophie is introduced to a meadow given to her by her love-interest, Howl, she takes a moment to look around at the mountains, ponds, and flowers. As she turns to say, "it's gorgeous, Howl!" she is transformed from the old lady that she was cursed to be at the beginning of her story into the young woman that she is for only a minute. It is Howl's kindness and the beauty of the meadow that gives her release from her curse if only for a minute.

Including these moments of rhetorical silence in movies can be so moving if they are purposeful for the story. It is important to understand that none of this will have mattered without an audience to witness these stories and work towards understanding them; silence even becomes important for them. “The audience members recognize the necessity of silence on their part for the experience they desire” (Glenn and Ratcliffe 123). The audience must focus on rhetorically listening to the story to relate, comprehend, and apply it to their own lives. These moments of silence are what help the story to become more than an action-fest; they give the story more depth. The master of ma explains his own reasoning: “[i]f you stay true to joy and astonishment and empathy you don’t have to have violence and you don’t have to have action. They’ll follow you. This is our principle” (RogerEbert.com).

These moments of ma bring the audience to a moment of silence that might make them recognize their relatability to the character. It could also give them time to reflect on the character’s own journey. The moment could be utilized to give that quick intake before an important and intense scene is about to take place. Whatever the reasoning, these moments of ma in Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli films give them the ever-so-important “slow-moving, yet always-moving emptiness” that improves the experience of the audience.