Feminist beliefs, particularly those that involve anger, can serve a defensive, resistance function by masking conflicts arising from a woman's need to repudiate aspects of herself. Through case examples the author illustrates how this process involves the use of defenses against identification with devalued aspects of parents associated with passivity and submission. Anger, rationalized by feminist beliefs, can be used to inhibit empathic response, and may represent a defensive solution to conflict arising between empathy and competitive strivings.