Robert’s final message is even more erratic than his earlier letters. Even as he prepares to die, however, Robert cares about his pride, taking great pains to reassure Rufus that he didn’t kill himself over Eva. The fact that Robert chooses to send Rufus the
Cloud Atlas Sextet suggests that Robert still wants a part of himself to live on, even as he prepares to die. By sending Rufus the remainder of Adam Ewing’s journal, Robert sets up the last chapter, closing the final loop in the novel’s structure.