Gabriel García Márquez used cholera as a metaphor for love, and closely interwoven the themes of love, death and survival in his work Love in the Time of Cholera. Uncovering cholera and love, the film contains a profound philosophy of survival. Cholera spread, death threat and love frustration pervade the life of protagonist Arisa. In adversity, respecting life, believing in love and caring for himself are the survival methods he always adheres to and practices. This paper uses Foucault’s theory of survival aesthetics to analyze Arisa’s survival strategy in the face of adversity, so as to provide reference and enlightenment for contemporary people in disasters, diseases or difficulties.