We hear from Clarissa very little in Volume VII, and most discussions of her writing (such as in Letter 333) stem from how she finds herself too tired or too ill to write. Clarissa’s difficulty in writing, a practice she loves over all others, shows the way her body is deteriorating. If Clarissa, who previously partook in subterfuge in order to hold onto writing utensils and wrote almost unceasingly, is choosing not to write, something is seriously wrong with her.

Lovelace and his writing continue throughout this volume. One of the early letters in the volume (Letter 323) shows his mastery of language and power as a rhetor, but his later letters are more troubling, particularly Letter 335. In Letter 323, Lovelace crafts one of his dramatic (play-like) letters. In this one, he is put on trial by his family members, and as Rachel wrote, “he is a master manipulator here, engaging in the drama and pulling out all his rhetorical moves as needed.” Tony also noted “his determination to speak over people (interrupting, making his voice louder, not permitting any interruption to his own speech)” and authorial decision to “present the scene as a comedy.” We see Lovelace in full command of both his speaking and writing voice in this scene.

However, it is not long until Lovelace seems to grow more confused, as his writing in Letter 335 reflects. In this letter, Lovelace responds to a series of letters from Belford that end in uncertainty, a cliffhanger if you will. Lovelace’s response is to call Belford names, threaten him, and demand to know what happens next. He says that his pain in not knowing what happens is worse than any form of torture or pain that anyone else has ever felt. Jessica wondered if this letter is reflective of “what [James Grantham] Turner and [Terry] Eagleton have said about Lovelace’s writing practices and the positions he occupies as being ‘feminine.’” Tony pointed to how the letter deftly handles metaphor and argued, “writing remains [Lovelace’s] most important area of libertine creativity—and that he can manage it so well demonstrates, I think, that his suffering is one more mask to parade.” Unlike the first letter discussed here, this one presents a much more unstable Lovelace who is pleading with Belford for news and threatening him if he fails to deliver. We see how Lovelace’s writing changes drastically throughout this volume. He presents different sides of himself when faced with different situations. We see him confident and collected when discussing being put to “trial” by his family, but wanting to know more about what is happening to Clarissa leaves him ranting and raving to Belford for more information.