Isaac Sachs Character Analysis in Cloud Atlas

Isaac Sachs is a flirtatious, heavy-drinking scientist who used to work with Rufus Sixsmith. After Rufus’s death, Luisa Rey tells Isaac she thinks someone murdered Rufus, and ultimately Isaac agrees to betray his bosses by collaborating with Luisa. He gets killed, possibly just as collateral damage, during the same jet explosion that kills Grimaldi. Isaac’s life highlights the dangers of trying to tell the truth and go against people in power.

Isaac Sachs Character Timeline in Cloud Atlas

The timeline below shows where the character Isaac Sachs appears in Cloud Atlas. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...she finds someone looking through Rufus’s notebooks. The man, an engineer who introduces himself as Isaac Sachs, assumes that Luisa must be Megan. Isaac asks where Rufus is, and Luisa says... (full context)

28. Isaac Sachs sits at the Swannekke Hotel, thinking of Rufus’s death and imaging what might happen... (full context)

31. Isaac Sachs talks to Luisa for a long time. He gets drunk and tries to shift... (full context)

32. The next morning, Luisa wonders what would’ve happened if she’d invited Isaac to her room. They have plans to meet for breakfast. Napier comes up to her... (full context)

36. Sometime later, Luisa’s phone rings, waking her from a dream. It’s Isaac. He tells her that before he left California, he gave Garcia a present. 37. Napier,... (full context)

41. On an airplane, Isaac Sachs wonders whether he did the right thing by giving Rufus’s report to Luisa. A... (full context)

...the back, he notices Bill Smoke, who holds up three fingers to indicate that Grimaldi, Isaac, and Luisa are all dead. Lloyd continues his speech undisturbed. 43. On Swannekke Island, Hester... (full context)

...a report on TV about a jet accident that killed 12 people, including Grimaldi (and Isaac). (full context)

...going under. Meanwhile, Luisa ponders the recent jet explosion. She knows why people might want Isaac dead but can’t understand who’d want to take out Grimaldi at the same time. Her... (full context)