He converses with both men in the same way, making no distinction between his long dead brother and his very real friend. The way in which Willy interprets what Ben is saying now begins to give the audience some idea of his delusions; it is obvious to most that Ben never answers his brothers questions but Willy hears only what fits in with his preconceived ideas, only what will make him feel better. This widens the gulf between the reality perceived by the audience and what is obviously becoming Willy's reality. .
Miller's whole critique on the business world is also a device for revealing the breakdown of Willy Loman's psyche. He is adamant that being "well liked" is the most important factor when doing business. While this is an admirable quality, it is also one that is no longer appropriate for the society portrayed in the play. For Willy, Dave Singleman is the personification of a good businessman, using his personality to get by, but in this scene with Howard Wagner, Miller illustrates how this idea is little more than a myth. The new recording device that Howard is so proudly demonstrating, exemplifies a new era, one that Willy is unable to grasp. He is now out of sync with his society and it is his fanatical grip on out-of-date ideas that add to his breakdown. From this point on, Willy becomes more and more caught up in the world he creates around himself. The lies he tells to Linda about how much he earns are painfully transparent to the audience, as are the little anecdotes about the towns he's visited, which sound suspiciously like the hype featured in travel brochures.
Another important factor when examining Willy's breakdown as a central issue in the play, is the way in which it is structured as the flashback sequences often mirror the breakdown of Willy's mind as it occurs. There is no clear chronological sequence to the revelation of each memory, reflecting his loss of cohesion.
