Uncovering Gender Prejudices in Music History

Why was Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel discouraged from pursuing a career as a composer?

a. she was a woman. b. she was primarily a performer. c. she had no talent. d. all of the above

Answer:

Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel was discouraged from pursuing a career in music mainly due to gender-based prejudices of her time, not because she was primarily a performer or lacked talent. The correct option is A.

Explanation: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, despite being a talented composer, was discouraged from pursuing her career in music due to societal norms and gender-based prejudices of the time, as depicted in the answer choice 'a'. It wasn't because she was primarily a performer or lacked talent; those are not the correct assumptions. It was the patriarchal societal structure and biases that impeded Hensel's recognition as a composer.

This is not unusual; throughout history, women in various fields, especially the arts, were prevented from reaching their full potential due to gender prejudices, contributing to a disproportionate emphasis on the work of 'dead white men' in our education system.