diff --git a/syndicate/patterns.py b/syndicate/patterns.py
index a617a99..91807f9 100644
--- a/syndicate/patterns.py
+++ b/syndicate/patterns.py
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ CAPTURE = bind(_)
 class unquote:
     def __init__(self, pattern):
         self.pattern = pattern
+    def __escape_schema__(self):
+        return self
 
 uCAPTURE = unquote(CAPTURE)
 u_ = unquote(_)
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ u_ = unquote(_)
 #
 # then these all produce the same pattern:
 #
-# P.rec('Observe', P.quote(P.rec('run', P.lit('N'), P.unquote(P.CAPTURE), P.bind(P.unquote(P._)))), P._)
+# P.rec('Observe', P.quote(P.rec('run', P.lit('N'), P.uCAPTURE, P.bind(P.u_))), P._)
 #
 # P.rec('Observe', P.quote(P.quote(Run('N', P.unquote(P.uCAPTURE), P.unquote(P.bind(P.u_))))), P._)
 #
@@ -60,6 +62,22 @@ def lit(v):
     else:
         return P.Pattern.DLit(P.DLit(P.AnyAtom.decode(v)))
 
+def unlit(p):
+    if not hasattr(p, 'VARIANT'):
+        p = P.Pattern.decode(p)
+    if p.VARIANT == P.Pattern.DLit.VARIANT:
+        return p.value.value.value
+    if p.VARIANT != P.Pattern.DCompound.VARIANT:
+        raise Exception('Pattern does not represent a literal value')
+    p = p.value
+    if p.VARIANT == P.DCompound.rec.VARIANT:
+        return Record(p.label, map(unlit, p.fields))
+    if p.VARIANT == P.DCompound.arr.VARIANT:
+        return list(map(unlit, p.items))
+    if p.VARIANT == P.DCompound.dict.VARIANT:
+        return _dict(map(lambda kv: (kv[0], unlit(kv[1])), p.entries.items()))
+    raise Exception('unreachable')
+
 def rec(labelstr, *members):
     return _rec(Symbol(labelstr), *members)