Death of a Salesman

During the sequence that takes place between pages 129 and
133 of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, a number of
highly significant revelations about the nature of Biff and
Willy's relationship are brought to light. Willy is taken aback
when Biff confronts him about the constant pressure and
high expectations that he has put on him throughout his
life. Biff has finally come out. Within these few pages, the two
men thoroughly let out their actual thoughts towards one
other, and they do so by continuously insulting each other
with caustic language. One might conclude that the primary
conflict of the play is resolved during these few pages. Willy is
heard accusing Biff, his son, of spending his life out of
contempt for him, while Biff is heard affronting his father
about his attempts at suicide in the basement. Both incidents
take place in the same room. Another thing that comes to
light is how unimportant Happy's work really is. As Biff and
Willy's divergent perspectives on what constitutes a successful
life are laid bare in these few chapters, the novel Death of a
Salesman reaches a true and crucial turning point.

The significance of this sequence resides not only in the fact

that the genuine emotions of the characters are shown to the
audience in this scene, but also in the fact that the
characters themselves benefit from seeing these sensations. Biff
is the only one of the characters who has been totally honest
with himself throughout the story. He is content with his
position in life since he is aware of it and accepts it. In
addition to this, he does not shrink back from confronting
Willy and Happy about their hypocrisy:

Biff says to Willy, "In this home, not even for 10 minutes has
anybody ever stated the truth!"

Turning the tables on him, Biff said, "You huge blow, are you
the assistant buyer?" Are we correct in assuming that you are
one of the two assistants working for the assistant?

Biff: You are so full of hot air it's almost embarrassing! We are
all of them! And that's the end of my involvement with it.

Both Willy and Happy have reached a point in the play when
they are compelled to contemplate the relative insignificance
of their lives and the falsehoods that they have created for
themselves. Biff may have failed to meet his father's
expectations for him, but at least he had a firm grasp on
who he was and what was really essential in this life. The
drama revolves entirely on the philosophical musings of Biff.