How was it possible? His boy was an only son. Ever since his birth the boss had worked at building up this business for him; it had no other meaning if it was not for the boy. Life itself had come to have no other meaning.

The boss is forced to confront the reality that even the most important people in his life are susceptible to death. The boss built everything in his life on a single point, and he now must face the reality that his hard work didn't guarantee his son's safety. There was no real way for him to prepare for the unpredictable loss of his son, and this death has shaken him so badly that his own life has come to have no meaning. Death has consumed his life.

That was the way to tackle things; that was the right spirit. Never say die.

This quote occurs as the boss torments the fly and demonstrates the boss’s attempt to find a way to circumvent death and failure. Here, he looks down at the fly and encourages it to keep living despite the odds. He wants to believe that the right spirit or attitude will allow a mortal being to escape death. This is naivete is a common approach to death by those who are afraid to face the reality of it.