Huck Finn 2: 28-46

"I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much. I reckon i was scared now, too; but in a minute I see I was mistaken" (28).

Huck is no longer afraid of his father anymore because he knows what to expect out of him. Huck pretty much knows how things will go and what his fathers routine will be. Huck knows that his father is going to beat him when he gets drunk, but it doesn't scare him anymore because it has happened so much. He obviously doesn't want to get hit and it obviously hurts him, but he's not afraid of it anymore. He doesn't let it phase him anymore. If he can let a beating from his own father for no reason not phase him anymore, he can pretty much not let anything else phase him. The beatings have made him stronger.

"This shook be up considerable, because I didn't want to go back to the widow's any more and be so cramped up and sivilized, as they called it" (35).

Here, Huck says so himself that he doesn't like to be cramped up civilized. He doesn't want to go back to the widow's, but he doesn't want to stay with his father. Huck just wants to be free, away from anyone who can restrain him. But I think he is going to get awfully lonely sooner or later. He may be very independent but that doesn't mean he doesn't need or want friends or someone around. He can still have people around and depend on himself and no one else.

nabob - any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.
"He had a gold watch and chain, and a silver headed cane-the awfullest old gray-headed nabob in the State" (37)

palavering - to talk profusely and idly.
"'Well, all right. Don't stand there palavering all day"' (40)