Willy is not demoted; he is fired. It is clear from the start of the scene with Howard, that Howard is not at all interested in the exhausted and distraught man in his office. Indeed, he is more involved with his tape recorder than with a human being.
Howard is the son of Willy's first boss, now dead, who hired Willy long ago. Willy tries to tell Howard promises Howard's father made to him many years before Howard was born, but Howard doesn't care. As said so well above, this is a modern world of selling, and the bottom line is all. You pull your weight or you're out. It seems that Howard has only been keeping Willy on for old times sake anyway. When Willy loses it on Howard and starts to yell at him, Howard takes that as his cue, his opporunity to unload Willy, a man who Howard sees as a drag on the business and an embarassment:
HOWARD Look, Willy...
WILLY (pressing his hands to his eyes): I gotta get myself some coffee. I’ll get some coffee... (Willy starts to walk out. Howard stops him.)
HOWARD Willy, look...
WILLY: I’ll go to Boston.
HOWARD: Willy, you can’t go to Boston for us.
WILLY: Why can’t I go?
HOWARD: I don’t want you to represent us. I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time now.
WILLY: Howard, are you firing me?
HOWARD: I think you need a good long rest, Willy.
WILLY: Howard...
It's not just that Willy isn't making the money he needs to make (and he hasn't for many years), nor that he's cracked up his car; Howard doesn't want to Willy to represent the company any longer. He fires Willy there and then.
This scene sets in motion a cascading series of events that will, by the end of the evening, lead to Willy's suicide.
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