To briefly summarize the scene of Willy’s interview with Howard: Willy intends to ask Howard for a sales position in New York. Howard initially insists that there are no jobs available; based on Willy’s erratic and embarrassing behavior, which does not reflect well on the company, as well as his declining sales, Howard is compelled to fire Willy.
At the beginning of the interview, Howard does not grant Willy’s request for relocation to New York: Willy’s sales have been unsatisfactory for years, and if he were to hire him for the New York position, he would have to pay Willy a base salary on top of commission, which would result in the company losing money. Understanding that Howard will likely not grant his request, Willy resorts to reminiscing about the past: he tells the story of Dave Singleman, a salesman who he has admired for decades. Willy also reminds Howard...
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that he named him as baby, although this is not exactly true: according to Willy, he suggested the name Howard to Howard’s father, who is also named Howard (hardly an original idea).
Willy’s attempt to convince his boss to hire him by bringing up a vague connection to Howard’s father is irrelevant to his sales performance, hence unprofessional. Moreover, Willy’s reflection of the past emphasizes that he is caught up in his past success, whereas Howard naturally focused on the future of the company, which Willy has not proven himself to be of value for. Willy’s pleas surrounding the past particularly relate to his relationship with Biff: he repeatedly encourages his son to think of his high school glory days, which inflates Biff's sense of worth for many years. Biff finally comes to terms with the mistakes he has made through this inflated self-image, yet Willy maintains this opinion of his son and refuses to accept any form of blame:
I won’t take the rap for this, you hear?
Willy’s words reflect his refusal to accept responsibility, or at least partial responsibility, for Biff’s mistakes or his own. Not only does this ultimately affect Willy’s job circumstances, but it also creates conflict between himself and Biff.
Earlier in the play Willy had given Biff advice on how to behave in Bill Oliver's office. The irony is that Willy’s behavior in Howard’s office is exactly what Willy told Biff not to do when visiting Bill Oliver. Willy counseled Biff not to be timid, but Willy is timid, asking Howard for $65 a week then $50 and finally $40; and when Howard looks for a cigarette lighter, Willy hands it to him, even though Willy had told Biff not to do small, demeaning things like pick up a fallen package when trying to assert oneself with a boss. Thus, in the previous conversation with Biff, Willy had projected his own anxieties in his advice on how to deal with Bill Oliver. However, Willy makes the same mistakes he told when he confronts Howard.