Death Of A Salesman

In Act I, Willy contradicts himself when he insists that Biff is lazy, only to follow the statement up with how he's not.

WILLY: Biff is a lazy bum.

LINDA: They’re sleeping. Get something to eat. Go on down.

WILLY: Why did he come home? I would like to know what brought him home.

LINDA: I don’t know. I think he’s still lost, Willy. I think he’s very lost.

WILLY: Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such- personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There's one thing about Biff- he's not lazy.

WILLY (with pity and resolve): I’ll see him in the morning; I’ll have a nice talk with him. I'll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time.