diff --git a/src/abstract_tree/assignment.rs b/src/abstract_tree/assignment.rs
index 184dd57..8bd5771 100644
--- a/src/abstract_tree/assignment.rs
+++ b/src/abstract_tree/assignment.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::{
+    context::Context,
     error::{RuntimeError, SyntaxError, ValidationError},
     AbstractTree, AssignmentOperator, Format, Identifier, Map, SourcePosition, Statement,
     SyntaxNode, Type, TypeSpecification, Value,
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Assignment {
     fn from_syntax(
         syntax_node: SyntaxNode,
         source: &str,
-        context: &Map,
+        context: &Context,
     ) -> Result<Self, SyntaxError> {
         SyntaxError::expect_syntax_node(source, "assignment", syntax_node)?;
 
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Assignment {
         })
     }
 
-    fn validate(&self, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+    fn validate(&self, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         if let AssignmentOperator::Equal = self.operator {
             let key = self.identifier.inner().clone();
             let r#type = if let Some(definition) = &self.type_specification {
diff --git a/src/abstract_tree/block.rs b/src/abstract_tree/block.rs
index aaeeeca..b00c34f 100644
--- a/src/abstract_tree/block.rs
+++ b/src/abstract_tree/block.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use crate::{
 pub struct Block {
     is_async: bool,
     statements: Vec<Statement>,
+    context: Map,
 }
 
 impl AbstractTree for Block {
@@ -35,12 +36,13 @@ impl AbstractTree for Block {
             node.child_count() - 2
         };
         let mut statements = Vec::with_capacity(statement_count);
+        let block_context = Map::clone_from(context)?;
 
         for index in 1..node.child_count() - 1 {
             let child_node = node.child(index).unwrap();
 
             if child_node.kind() == "statement" {
-                let statement = Statement::from_syntax(child_node, source, context)?;
+                let statement = Statement::from_syntax(child_node, source, &block_context)?;
 
                 statements.push(statement);
             }
@@ -49,15 +51,16 @@ impl AbstractTree for Block {
         Ok(Block {
             is_async,
             statements,
+            context: block_context,
         })
     }
 
     fn validate(&self, _source: &str, _context: &Map) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         for statement in &self.statements {
             if let Statement::Return(inner_statement) = statement {
-                return inner_statement.validate(_source, _context);
+                return inner_statement.validate(_source, &self.context);
             } else {
-                statement.validate(_source, _context)?;
+                statement.validate(_source, &self.context)?;
             }
         }
 
@@ -73,7 +76,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Block {
                 .into_par_iter()
                 .enumerate()
                 .find_map_first(|(index, statement)| {
-                    let result = statement.run(source, context);
+                    let result = statement.run(source, &self.context);
                     let is_last_statement = index == statements.len() - 1;
                     let is_return_statement = if let Statement::Return(_) = statement {
                         true
diff --git a/src/abstract_tree/identifier.rs b/src/abstract_tree/identifier.rs
index 415e132..4106da4 100644
--- a/src/abstract_tree/identifier.rs
+++ b/src/abstract_tree/identifier.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ use crate::{
 ///
 /// Every variable is a key-value pair. An identifier holds the key part of that
 /// pair. Its inner value can be used to retrieve a Value instance from a Map.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Eq, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Eq, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Ord, Hash)]
 pub struct Identifier(String);
 
 impl Identifier {
diff --git a/src/abstract_tree/mod.rs b/src/abstract_tree/mod.rs
index 1d2dd56..f8e0fe0 100644
--- a/src/abstract_tree/mod.rs
+++ b/src/abstract_tree/mod.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ pub use {
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::{
+    context::Context,
     error::{RuntimeError, SyntaxError, ValidationError},
     Map, SyntaxNode, Value,
 };
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ pub struct Root {
 // instead of indexes. This will be more performant when there are a lot of
 // top-level statements in the tree.
 impl AbstractTree for Root {
-    fn from_syntax(node: SyntaxNode, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<Self, SyntaxError> {
+    fn from_syntax(node: SyntaxNode, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<Self, SyntaxError> {
         SyntaxError::expect_syntax_node(source, "root", node)?;
 
         let statement_count = node.child_count();
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Root {
         Ok(Root { statements })
     }
 
-    fn validate(&self, _source: &str, _context: &Map) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
+    fn validate(&self, _source: &str, _context: &Context) -> Result<(), ValidationError> {
         for statement in &self.statements {
             if let Statement::Return(inner_statement) = statement {
                 return inner_statement.validate(_source, _context);
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Root {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn run(&self, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<Value, RuntimeError> {
+    fn run(&self, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<Value, RuntimeError> {
         let mut value = Value::none();
 
         for statement in &self.statements {
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ impl AbstractTree for Root {
         Ok(value)
     }
 
-    fn expected_type(&self, context: &Map) -> Result<Type, ValidationError> {
+    fn expected_type(&self, context: &Context) -> Result<Type, ValidationError> {
         self.statements.last().unwrap().expected_type(context)
     }
 }
@@ -153,18 +154,18 @@ pub trait AbstractTree: Sized + Format {
     ///
     /// If necessary, the source code can be accessed directly by getting the
     /// node's byte range.
-    fn from_syntax(node: SyntaxNode, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<Self, SyntaxError>;
+    fn from_syntax(node: SyntaxNode, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<Self, SyntaxError>;
 
     /// Return the type of the value that this abstract node will create when run. Returns a
     /// validation error if the tree is invalid.
-    fn expected_type(&self, context: &Map) -> Result<Type, ValidationError>;
+    fn expected_type(&self, context: &Context) -> Result<Type, ValidationError>;
 
     /// Verify the type integrity of the node. Returns a validation error if the tree is invalid.
-    fn validate(&self, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<(), ValidationError>;
+    fn validate(&self, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<(), ValidationError>;
 
     /// Execute this node's logic and return a value. Returns a runtime error if the node cannot
     /// resolve to a value.
-    fn run(&self, source: &str, context: &Map) -> Result<Value, RuntimeError>;
+    fn run(&self, source: &str, context: &Context) -> Result<Value, RuntimeError>;
 }
 
 pub trait Format {
diff --git a/src/context.rs b/src/context.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69b15b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/context.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+use std::{
+    collections::HashMap,
+    sync::{Arc, RwLock, RwLockReadGuard},
+};
+
+use crate::{error::rw_lock_error::RwLockError, Type, Value};
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub enum ValueData {
+    Value {
+        inner: Value,
+        runtime_uses: Arc<RwLock<u16>>,
+    },
+    ExpectedType {
+        inner: Type,
+    },
+}
+
+pub struct Context {
+    inner: Arc<RwLock<HashMap<String, ValueData>>>,
+}
+
+impl Context {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            inner: Arc::new(RwLock::new(HashMap::new())),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn inherit_from(other: &Context) -> Result<Context, RwLockError> {
+        let mut new_variables = HashMap::new();
+
+        for (identifier, value_data) in other.variables()?.iter() {
+            new_variables.insert(identifier.clone(), value_data.clone());
+        }
+
+        Ok(Context {
+            inner: Arc::new(RwLock::new(new_variables)),
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub fn variables(&self) -> Result<RwLockReadGuard<HashMap<String, ValueData>>, RwLockError> {
+        Ok(self.inner.read()?)
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_value(&self, key: &str) -> Result<Option<&Value>, RwLockError> {
+        if let Some(value_data) = self.inner.read()?.get(key) {
+            if let ValueData::Value { inner, .. } = value_data {
+                Ok(Some(inner))
+            } else {
+                Ok(None)
+            }
+        } else {
+            Ok(None)
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_type(&self, key: &str) -> Result<Option<Type>, RwLockError> {
+        if let Some(value_data) = self.inner.read()?.get(key) {
+            match value_data {
+                ValueData::Value { inner, .. } => Ok(Some(inner.r#type())),
+                ValueData::ExpectedType { inner, .. } => Ok(Some(inner.clone())),
+            }
+        } else {
+            Ok(None)
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_value(&self, key: String, value: Value) -> Result<(), RwLockError> {
+        self.inner.write()?.insert(
+            key,
+            ValueData::Value {
+                inner: value,
+                runtime_uses: Arc::new(RwLock::new(0)),
+            },
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub fn set_type(&self, key: String, r#type: Type) -> Result<(), RwLockError> {
+        self.inner
+            .write()?
+            .insert(key, ValueData::ExpectedType { inner: r#type });
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 7c50ec8..fcac506 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#![warn(missing_docs)]
 //! The Dust library is used to parse, format and run dust source code.
 //!
 //! See the [interpret] module for more information.
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@ pub use tree_sitter::Node as SyntaxNode;
 
 pub mod abstract_tree;
 pub mod built_in_functions;
+pub mod context;
 pub mod error;
 pub mod interpret;
 pub mod value;