Certain borderline adolescent girls whose family lives have been unstable and whose fathers have been inconsistent are compared with Bess of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Their own sense of identity is diffuse, and they shift quickly from one man to another, alternately rebelling against and searching for the father-protector. Several case histories poignantly illustrate this pattern and emphasize the vital role of the therapist as stable, empathic transitional object, helping the patient toward conflict resolution and inner integration.