Moreover, Willy is depicted as a proud man whose values are superficial - he defines a person's qualities by their wealth. This is exemplified in his response to Biff's suggestion that they are both just ordinary people: "I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!" These words prove him to be infatuated with status.
Similarly, this extract visibly underlines the essential aspects of Willy's character: "The door to your life is wide open…You vengeful, spiteful mut!" This confirms that Willy is naïve, believing that Biff has only to want to succeed in order to do so, despite his own experiences of the difficulties. It is this adolescent denial of the real world that makes him incapable of tolerating Biff's point of view.
In this scene Biff himself is shown to have come to terms with his own abilities and failings: "This isn't your fault; it's me, I'm a bum." This indicates a mature understanding of himself and the world around him than he showed at the beginning of the play.
Furthermore, he is shown to be a genuine man in his response to Willy's harsh accusations stating that Biff holds him accountable for his own lack of success in life: "I'm not blaming it on you!" The fact that Biff does not lose his temper here and lash out reveals sensitivity to his father, trying not to argue with him because it would cause too much pain.
However, although Biff is determined to avoid further conflict with his father, he becomes distraught as a result of Willy's repeated provocations eventually confronting him about the issue he has been trying to conceal: '"All right, phoney! Then let's lay it on the line." [He whips the rubber tube out of his pocket and puts it on the table.]'. Biff reveals his awareness of his father's intention to commit suicide in a desperate bid to save his father's life and ensure that Happy and his mother acknowledge the seriousness of the situation.
Fundamentally, Biff is depicted as a caring and loving man: '[…he breaks down, sobbing, holding on to Willy…]', showing that he does love his father very much and that he is leaving the house for the good of the family. This reaction emphasises not only his unhappiness but also his realisation that he cannot persuade Willy to come to terms with reality or to change.
On the contrary, Biff has gained self-knowledge and integrity: "I'm one dollar an hour, Willy! I tried seven states and couldn't raise it… Do you gather my meaning? I'm not bringing home any prizes…", thereby confirming a new genuine understanding of his situation.
The crucial point about this scene is the complete shift in the relationship between Willy, the father, and Biff, the son. Biff has moved on, developing a new honest acceptance of his own and his father's qualities and defects. He ceases flattering his father and thereby steps into his role, becoming the paternal figure. In contrast Willy continues his self-deceiving play thus becoming the child in the relationship. This is emphasised by Charley's comments that Willy has never really "grown up".
Although Willy and Biff spend most of the play sparring, it is apparent that they love each other and are repeatedly trying to revisit the period of their lives where they loved each other with openness and innocence. Even now, at the climax, where their relationship seems to be disintegrating this essential tenderness survives with, for example, Biff telling Willy "no spite anymore" - despite being upset by the past he loves Willy and wants to protect him.
The opening lines of this extract reflect Willy's self-delusion that underpins the play: "He put his arm around you, and you've got no appointment?" His refusal to accept the truth prevents him having a proper relationship with Biff, or, in fact, with anybody. Even in his prime, Willy was always in financial trouble and, he has always lied and he continues to lie to cover this up. He has created images of himself and his family members - particularly Biff, which everybody recognises as dishonest but he has convinced himself are real. Biff has tried to adapt himself to his father's image, in many ways becoming a mirror image of Willy. For example, Willy's dishonesty in his words is mirrored by Biff's actual dishonesty in stealing which started with the football incident in his childhood. In this extract Biff says: "I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for?". This is a pivotal moment for Biff when he realises he can't fit into the image created for him by Willy but must find a way of working things out for himself. It's at this point that he becomes an adult and takes charge of the situation.
This episode relates to the concerns of the play as a whole because, it is the climatic scene where the whole family has to face the truth. This is where Biff confronts Willy, which results in the end of their tumultuous relationship for, it enables Biff to be free from Willy's impossible optimism and unrealistic. This is the most important scene in the play as not only does it mark the turnaround in the crucial relationship between the two main characters but it also bears out the central theme of the play: "Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?". Biff is referring here to the fallacy of the American dream. Willy, of course can't "burn it" and "something happens" - he commits suicide.
