Scott Joplin plot
Despite his genius, the color of his skin forced Scott Joplin to enter the lower echelons of show business. While entering a music competition, Joplin introduces his most famous work "The Maple Leaf Raf" and gets the attention of a white music publisher. He gets a ridiculously low amount for this song, but Joplin still accepts to sell his composition. He hopes he'll get rich and famous sooner when this song comes out. Not long after this, Ragtime music becomes all the rage and Joplin becomes immensely rich. He thinks ragtime isn't respectable enough and wants to make something permanent - an opera. Unfortunately, Joplin's talent begins to diminish and at 49, a victim of syphilis, he is almost dead.