diff --git a/src/Parser.php b/src/Parser.php
index 00e7c53..2de62cc 100644
--- a/src/Parser.php
+++ b/src/Parser.php
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ namespace Cerbero\JsonParser;
 
 use Cerbero\JsonParser\Pointers\Pointers;
 use Cerbero\JsonParser\Sources\Source;
-use Cerbero\JsonParser\Tokens\Token;
 use IteratorAggregate;
 use Traversable;
 
@@ -37,7 +36,6 @@ class Parser implements IteratorAggregate
     public function __construct(protected Lexer $lexer, protected Config $config)
     {
         $this->state = new State();
-        $this->pointers = new Pointers(...$config->pointers);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -58,10 +56,11 @@ class Parser implements IteratorAggregate
      */
     public function getIterator(): Traversable
     {
+        $this->pointers = new Pointers(...$this->config->pointers);
         $this->state->matchPointer($this->pointers);
 
         foreach ($this->lexer as $token) {
-            $this->handleToken($token);
+            $token->mutateState($this->state);
             $this->rematchPointer();
 
             if (!$token->endsChunk() || $this->state->treeIsDeep()) {
@@ -82,25 +81,6 @@ class Parser implements IteratorAggregate
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Handle the given token
-     *
-     * @param Token $token
-     * @return void
-     */
-    protected function handleToken(Token $token): void
-    {
-        if ($token->isValue() && !$this->state->inObject() && $this->state->treeIsShallow()) {
-            $this->state->traverseArray();
-        }
-
-        if ($this->state->inRoot() && $this->state->shouldBufferToken($token)) {
-            $this->state->bufferToken($token);
-        }
-
-        $token->mutateState($this->state);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Set the matching JSON pointer when the tree changes
      *
diff --git a/src/Tokens/Comma.php b/src/Tokens/Comma.php
index 6884fa5..cd6694c 100644
--- a/src/Tokens/Comma.php
+++ b/src/Tokens/Comma.php
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ class Comma extends Token
     }
 
     /**
-     * Mutate the given state
+     * Update the given state
      *
      * @param State $state
      * @return void
      */
-    public function mutateState(State $state): void
+    protected function updateState(State $state): void
     {
         if ($state->inObject()) {
             $state->expectKey();
diff --git a/src/Tokens/CompoundBegin.php b/src/Tokens/CompoundBegin.php
index eefbec9..0130ecc 100644
--- a/src/Tokens/CompoundBegin.php
+++ b/src/Tokens/CompoundBegin.php
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ class CompoundBegin extends Token
     }
 
     /**
-     * Mutate the given state
+     * Update the given state
      *
      * @param State $state
      * @return void
      */
-    public function mutateState(State $state): void
+    protected function updateState(State $state): void
     {
         $state->tree()->deepen();
 
diff --git a/src/Tokens/CompoundEnd.php b/src/Tokens/CompoundEnd.php
index 99c7202..fea88ce 100644
--- a/src/Tokens/CompoundEnd.php
+++ b/src/Tokens/CompoundEnd.php
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ class CompoundEnd extends Token
     }
 
     /**
-     * Mutate the given state
+     * Update the given state
      *
      * @param State $state
      * @return void
      */
-    public function mutateState(State $state): void
+    protected function updateState(State $state): void
     {
         $state->tree()->emerge();
 
diff --git a/src/Tokens/ScalarString.php b/src/Tokens/ScalarString.php
index 9dce3c9..c0cf392 100644
--- a/src/Tokens/ScalarString.php
+++ b/src/Tokens/ScalarString.php
@@ -28,22 +28,18 @@ class ScalarString extends Token
     }
 
     /**
-     * Mutate the given state
+     * Update the given state
      *
      * @param State $state
      * @return void
      */
-    public function mutateState(State $state): void
+    protected function updateState(State $state): void
     {
         if (!$this->isKey = $state->expectsKey()) {
             return;
         }
 
         $state->doNotExpectKey();
-
-        if ($state->treeIsShallow()) {
-            $state->traverseKey($this->value);
-        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Tokens/Token.php b/src/Tokens/Token.php
index 92b89dd..b83cfb8 100644
--- a/src/Tokens/Token.php
+++ b/src/Tokens/Token.php
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ abstract class Token implements Stringable
         return ($this->type() | Tokens::VALUE_SCALAR) == Tokens::VALUE_SCALAR;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determine whether the token is a string
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function isString(): bool
+    {
+        return ($this->type() | Tokens::SCALAR_STRING) == Tokens::SCALAR_STRING;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Mutate the given state
      *
@@ -65,6 +75,29 @@ abstract class Token implements Stringable
      * @return void
      */
     public function mutateState(State $state): void
+    {
+        if ($this->isValue() && !$state->inObject() && $state->treeIsShallow()) {
+            $state->traverseArray();
+        }
+
+        if ($this->isString() && $state->expectsKey() && $state->treeIsShallow()) {
+            $state->traverseKey($this);
+        }
+
+        if ($state->inRoot() && $state->shouldBufferToken($this)) {
+            $state->bufferToken($this);
+        }
+
+        $this->updateState($state);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Update the given state
+     *
+     * @param State $state
+     * @return void
+     */
+    protected function updateState(State $state): void
     {
         return;
     }