there is nothing

[shenghuiqiong]

Hi
Here are some words from the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence:

"And you think it’s a writer of popular plays that you’ve got to be?"asked Connie.

‘There, exactly!" he said, turning to her in a sudden flash. "There’s nothing in it! There’s nothing in popularity. There’s nothing in the public, if it comes to that. There's nothing really in my plays to make them popular. It's not that. They just are like the weather. . .the sort that will have to be. . .for the time being."

Nothings here are really hard to understand. I guess "there's nothing in it" means "it's nothing difficult to be a writer of popular plays", "there's nothing in popularity" means "it's nothing difficult for me to make my plays popular", and "there's nothing in the public" means "it's easy to attract the public attention".

Is it right please?

Thank you in advance

[YesNo]

I think what he is referring by "there's nothing in it" is that there is nothing substantial in it. It is fleeting or transitory.

Now I don't think that is true. Social mood does change and during some periods people will find one type of art more interesting than another type. The social mood itself is variable but it is nonetheless real.

[shenghuiqiong]

Thank you.
But what does "there is nothing in the public" mean please? Do all the "there is nothing" mean the same thing?

[Why]

There are several factors which may contribute to make a play popular, e.g. the quality (of the play, the writer, the actors and the audience), the target audience, the marketing of the play etc. "There's nothing really in my plays to make them popular" simply means: Lawrence thinks that such factors are missing in his plays.

[YesNo]

It could mean as Why suggests that there is nothing to make them popular.

I think "there is nothing in the public" means the idea of "public" is something fictional. It doesn't really exist for Lawrence. However, just to present a contrary position, I do think social mood exists which influences people and makes them a "public". So I would disagree with Lawrence. Publics do exist because social moods exist.

[shenghuiqiong]

Thank you both, very much.

[Danik 2016]

There are several definitions of the idiom, I think this one comes closest to some of the uses.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=There%27s%20nothing%20in%20it
But it seems the idiom doesn´t have always the same meaning:
"There’s nothing in it! There’s nothing in popularity"= It´s not important. It´s not worthwhile.

"There’s nothing in the public, if it comes to that."= The opinion of the public isn´t that important, if it comes to that.

"There's nothing really in my plays to make them popular." This sentence seems to be literal. "My plays are not of the kind that appeals to the public"

[shenghuiqiong]

OK. Great. I take your advice.