var city = {name:"boston", state:"massachusetts", governor:{ name:"Deval Patrick", party: "democrat" } }; // get city name var name = city.name; name = "cambridge"; // get governor var governor = city.governor; governor.name = "peter parker"; // city name remains the same but governor name has changed console.log("city.name: " + city.name); console.log("city.governor.name: " + city.governor.name);