diff --git a/lib/nodes.js b/lib/nodes.js
index 9aeb06ca..3a4066a7 100644
--- a/lib/nodes.js
+++ b/lib/nodes.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (function(){
-  var AccessorNode, ArrayNode, AssignNode, BaseNode, CallNode, ClassNode, ClosureNode, CodeNode, CommentNode, ExistenceNode, Expressions, ExtendsNode, ForNode, IDENTIFIER, IfNode, IndexNode, LiteralNode, ObjectNode, OpNode, ParentheticalNode, PushNode, RangeNode, ReturnNode, SliceNode, SplatNode, TAB, TRAILING_WHITESPACE, ThrowNode, TryNode, ValueNode, WhileNode, compact, del, flatten, inherit, merge, statement;
+  var AccessorNode, ArrayNode, AssignNode, BaseNode, CallNode, ClassNode, ClosureNode, CodeNode, CommentNode, ExistenceNode, Expressions, ExtendsNode, ForNode, IDENTIFIER, IfNode, IndexNode, LiteralNode, ObjectNode, OpNode, ParentheticalNode, PushNode, RangeNode, ReturnNode, SliceNode, SplatNode, TAB, TRAILING_WHITESPACE, ThrowNode, TryNode, ValueNode, WhileNode, compact, del, flatten, literal, merge, statement;
   var __hasProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty, __extends = function(child, parent) {
     var ctor = function(){ };
     ctor.prototype = parent.prototype;
@@ -62,17 +62,9 @@
     delete obj[key];
     return val;
   };
-  // Quickie inheritance convenience wrapper to reduce typing.
-  inherit = function inherit(parent, props) {
-    var _a, klass, name, prop;
-    klass = del(props, 'constructor');
-    __extends(klass, parent);
-    _a = props;
-    for (name in _a) { if (__hasProp.call(_a, name)) {
-      prop = _a[name];
-      ((klass.prototype[name] = prop));
-    }}
-    return klass;
+  // Quickie helper for a generated LiteralNode.
+  literal = function literal(name) {
+    return new LiteralNode(name);
   };
   // Mark a node as a statement, or a statement only.
   statement = function statement(klass, only) {
@@ -122,7 +114,7 @@
     // in multiple places, ensure that the expression is only ever evaluated once.
     BaseNode.prototype.compile_reference = function compile_reference(o) {
       var compiled, reference;
-      reference = new LiteralNode(o.scope.free_variable());
+      reference = literal(o.scope.free_variable());
       compiled = new AssignNode(reference, this);
       return [compiled, reference];
     };
@@ -527,7 +519,7 @@
     ExtendsNode.prototype.compile_node = function compile_node(o) {
       var call, ref;
       o.scope.assign('__extends', this.code, true);
-      ref = new ValueNode(new LiteralNode('__extends'));
+      ref = new ValueNode(literal('__extends'));
       call = new CallNode(ref, [this.child, this.parent]);
       return call.compile(o);
     };
@@ -601,10 +593,10 @@
     RangeNode.prototype.compile_array = function compile_array(o) {
       var arr, body, name;
       name = o.scope.free_variable();
-      body = Expressions.wrap([new LiteralNode(name)]);
+      body = Expressions.wrap([literal(name)]);
       arr = Expressions.wrap([new ForNode(body, {
           source: (new ValueNode(this))
-        }, new LiteralNode(name))
+        }, literal(name))
       ]);
       return (new ParentheticalNode(new CallNode(new CodeNode([], arr)))).compile(o);
     };
@@ -699,7 +691,7 @@
         prop = _a[_b];
         if (prop.variable && prop.variable.base.value === 'constructor') {
           func = prop.value;
-          func.body.push(new ReturnNode(new LiteralNode('this')));
+          func.body.push(new ReturnNode(literal('this')));
           constructor = new AssignNode(this.variable, func);
         } else {
           if (prop.variable) {
@@ -711,8 +703,8 @@
       }
       if (!constructor) {
         if (this.parent) {
-          applied = new ValueNode(this.parent, [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('apply'))]);
-          constructor = new AssignNode(this.variable, new CodeNode([], new Expressions([new CallNode(applied, [new LiteralNode('this'), new LiteralNode('arguments')])])));
+          applied = new ValueNode(this.parent, [new AccessorNode(literal('apply'))]);
+          constructor = new AssignNode(this.variable, new CodeNode([], new Expressions([new CallNode(applied, [literal('this'), literal('arguments')])])));
         } else {
           constructor = new AssignNode(this.variable, new CodeNode());
         }
@@ -771,7 +763,7 @@
       })) {
         return expressions;
       }
-      return Expressions.wrap([new CallNode(new ValueNode(new LiteralNode(array), [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('push'))]), [expr])]);
+      return Expressions.wrap([new CallNode(new ValueNode(literal(array), [new AccessorNode(literal('push'))]), [expr])]);
     }
   });
   // A faux-node used to wrap an expressions body in a closure.
@@ -779,7 +771,7 @@
     wrap: function wrap(expressions, statement) {
       var call, func;
       func = new ParentheticalNode(new CodeNode([], Expressions.wrap([expressions])));
-      call = new CallNode(new ValueNode(func, [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('call'))]), [new LiteralNode('this')]);
+      call = new CallNode(new ValueNode(func, [new AccessorNode(literal('call'))]), [literal('this')]);
       return statement ? Expressions.wrap([call]) : call;
     }
   });
@@ -864,12 +856,12 @@
         }
         access_class = this.variable.is_array() ? IndexNode : AccessorNode;
         if (obj instanceof SplatNode) {
-          val = new LiteralNode(obj.compile_value(o, val_var, this.variable.base.objects.indexOf(obj)));
+          val = literal(obj.compile_value(o, val_var, this.variable.base.objects.indexOf(obj)));
         } else {
           if (!(typeof idx === 'object')) {
-            idx = new LiteralNode(idx);
+            idx = literal(idx);
           }
-          val = new ValueNode(new LiteralNode(val_var), [new access_class(idx)]);
+          val = new ValueNode(literal(val_var), [new access_class(idx)]);
         }
         assigns.push(new AssignNode(obj, val).compile(o));
       }
@@ -979,7 +971,7 @@
   exports.SplatNode = (function() {
     SplatNode = function SplatNode(name) {
       if (!(name.compile)) {
-        name = new LiteralNode(name);
+        name = literal(name);
       }
       this.children = [(this.name = name)];
       return this;
@@ -1367,7 +1359,7 @@
       var _a, _b, _c, assigner, cond, i, variable;
       assigner = this.switcher;
       if (!(this.switcher.unwrap() instanceof LiteralNode)) {
-        variable = new LiteralNode(o.scope.free_variable());
+        variable = literal(o.scope.free_variable());
         assigner = new AssignNode(variable, this.switcher);
         this.switcher = variable;
       }
diff --git a/src/nodes.coffee b/src/nodes.coffee
index 5c38ff5a..fa7816c4 100644
--- a/src/nodes.coffee
+++ b/src/nodes.coffee
@@ -36,12 +36,9 @@ del: (obj, key) ->
   delete obj[key]
   val
 
-# Quickie inheritance convenience wrapper to reduce typing.
-inherit: (parent, props) ->
-  klass: del(props, 'constructor')
-  klass extends parent
-  (klass.prototype[name]: prop) for name, prop of props
-  klass
+# Quickie helper for a generated LiteralNode.
+literal: (name) ->
+  new LiteralNode(name)
 
 # Mark a node as a statement, or a statement only.
 statement: (klass, only) ->
@@ -82,7 +79,7 @@ exports.BaseNode: class BaseNode
   # If the code generation wishes to use the result of a complex expression
   # in multiple places, ensure that the expression is only ever evaluated once.
   compile_reference: (o) ->
-    reference: new LiteralNode(o.scope.free_variable())
+    reference: literal(o.scope.free_variable())
     compiled:  new AssignNode(reference, this)
     [compiled, reference]
 
@@ -387,7 +384,7 @@ exports.ExtendsNode: class ExtendsNode extends BaseNode
   # Hooking one constructor into another's prototype chain.
   compile_node: (o) ->
     o.scope.assign('__extends', @code, true)
-    ref:  new ValueNode new LiteralNode '__extends'
+    ref:  new ValueNode literal('__extends')
     call: new CallNode ref, [@child, @parent]
     call.compile(o)
 
@@ -451,8 +448,8 @@ exports.RangeNode: class RangeNode extends BaseNode
   # TODO: This generates pretty ugly code ... shrink it.
   compile_array: (o) ->
     name: o.scope.free_variable()
-    body: Expressions.wrap([new LiteralNode(name)])
-    arr:  Expressions.wrap([new ForNode(body, {source: (new ValueNode(this))}, new LiteralNode(name))])
+    body: Expressions.wrap([literal(name)])
+    arr:  Expressions.wrap([new ForNode(body, {source: (new ValueNode(this))}, literal(name))])
     (new ParentheticalNode(new CallNode(new CodeNode([], arr)))).compile(o)
 
 
@@ -515,7 +512,7 @@ exports.ClassNode: class ClassNode extends BaseNode
     for prop in @properties
       if prop.variable and prop.variable.base.value is 'constructor'
         func: prop.value
-        func.body.push(new ReturnNode(new LiteralNode('this')))
+        func.body.push(new ReturnNode(literal('this')))
         constructor: new AssignNode(@variable, func)
       else
         if prop.variable
@@ -525,9 +522,9 @@ exports.ClassNode: class ClassNode extends BaseNode
 
     if not constructor
       if @parent
-        applied: new ValueNode(@parent, [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('apply'))])
+        applied: new ValueNode(@parent, [new AccessorNode(literal('apply'))])
         constructor: new AssignNode(@variable, new CodeNode([], new Expressions([
-          new CallNode(applied, [new LiteralNode('this'), new LiteralNode('arguments')])
+          new CallNode(applied, [literal('this'), literal('arguments')])
         ])))
       else
         constructor: new AssignNode(@variable, new CodeNode())
@@ -571,7 +568,7 @@ PushNode: exports.PushNode: {
     expr: expressions.unwrap()
     return expressions if expr.is_statement_only() or expr.contains (n) -> n.is_statement_only()
     Expressions.wrap([new CallNode(
-      new ValueNode(new LiteralNode(array), [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('push'))]), [expr]
+      new ValueNode(literal(array), [new AccessorNode(literal('push'))]), [expr]
     )])
 
 }
@@ -582,7 +579,7 @@ ClosureNode: exports.ClosureNode: {
 
   wrap: (expressions, statement) ->
     func: new ParentheticalNode(new CodeNode([], Expressions.wrap([expressions])))
-    call: new CallNode(new ValueNode(func, [new AccessorNode(new LiteralNode('call'))]), [new LiteralNode('this')])
+    call: new CallNode(new ValueNode(func, [new AccessorNode(literal('call'))]), [literal('this')])
     if statement then Expressions.wrap([call]) else call
 
 }
@@ -642,10 +639,10 @@ exports.AssignNode: class AssignNode extends BaseNode
       [obj, idx]: [obj.value, obj.variable.base] if @variable.is_object()
       access_class: if @variable.is_array() then IndexNode else AccessorNode
       if obj instanceof SplatNode
-        val: new LiteralNode(obj.compile_value(o, val_var, @variable.base.objects.indexOf(obj)))
+        val: literal(obj.compile_value(o, val_var, @variable.base.objects.indexOf(obj)))
       else
-        idx: new LiteralNode(idx) unless typeof idx is 'object'
-        val: new ValueNode(new LiteralNode(val_var), [new access_class(idx)])
+        idx: literal(idx) unless typeof idx is 'object'
+        val: new ValueNode(literal(val_var), [new access_class(idx)])
       assigns.push(new AssignNode(obj, val).compile(o))
     code: assigns.join("\n")
     code += '\n' + @idt() + 'return ' + @variable.compile(o) + ';' if o.returns
@@ -715,7 +712,7 @@ exports.SplatNode: class SplatNode extends BaseNode
   type: 'Splat'
 
   constructor: (name) ->
-    name: new LiteralNode(name) unless name.compile
+    name: literal(name) unless name.compile
     @children: [@name: name]
 
   compile_node: (o) ->
@@ -1001,7 +998,7 @@ exports.IfNode: class IfNode extends BaseNode
   rewrite_switch: (o) ->
     assigner: @switcher
     if not (@switcher.unwrap() instanceof LiteralNode)
-      variable: new LiteralNode(o.scope.free_variable())
+      variable: literal(o.scope.free_variable())
       assigner: new AssignNode(variable, @switcher)
       @switcher: variable
     @condition: if @multiple