why did the Swede just wait to be killed?

His life was over when he was jilted. He tried to commit suicide but was stopped. He knew he would eventually be found if he ran. Hemmingway's novels dealt with life and death and how a man reacts at the end of his existence. The original story ended with the death of Swede. The movie created a really good story explaining why Swede became so depressed.
What are you gonna do? Kill me? Every body Dies. John Garfield (Body and Soul)

Because he was a moron.

Not sure why we needed another ~95 minutes of flashback which do nothing other than reinforce that point. Might as well have left it as a 10 minute short film.

combining to the idea of fatalism, you must also remember that the swede still thinks that kitty (alone) double-crossed him; he didn't know she was still in cahoots with her husband, big jim colfax. so the swede felt that he got what was coming to him after stealing from the other thieves which he thinks includes colfax. i think it's the "masculine" code that many noir films possess.

I first read the Hemingway story as a HS Senior in English class. I asked the same question as I was shocked by what I took as the Swedes hopeless resignation to his situation. In the movies the hero, the good guy, always fought and won. As an 18 year old I myself was ready to take on the world. Problems existed to be solved. You never give in. Sure bad things happened to people but it was because those people did not handle the situation right. Now after more than 40 years of living I know things are not that simple. There are problems that can't be solved. Circumstances can overwhelm you. Sure you always try your best but in some situations your best is not good enough. The question becomes can you solve the problem or can you only run from the problem. I think the Swede considered it, saw there was no solution and decided he was not going to run. As to whether there was a solution I don't know. Personally I like the idea of redemption. As to the decision to stop running, I'm a little more sympathetic to the Swede now.

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You know you are just a thoughtless prick! DO NOT PUT SUCH SILLY PLOT SPOILERS AS YOUR TITLE! What are you, 12? You really spoiled the movie for me! I know I could have enjoyed the movie a lot more if I didn't scroll down the first time I checked the IMDB entry... Thanks for your help!

It's the inevitability of fate, a common noir theme. If it wasn't today that they got him, it would be tomorrow or a thousand tomorrows. It was a blessing for him, he no longer had to live each day looking over his shoulder.

Like Jeff Bailey, played by Mitchum in Out of the Past, the Swede is discovered working in a gas station some years after his transgression against a gangster. Bailey initially went through the steps that he thought would enable him to survive, but as long as the gangster and/or the dame were around, his life didn't belong to him.



It ain't easy being green, or anything else, other than to be me

Suicide by hit-man.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.