In Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22," a contentious exchange highlights the absurdity of bureaucracy and ownership in wartime. A character claims personal ownership of a leg, only to be met with a sharp retort from Sister Cramer, who asserts that the leg actually belongs to the US government. This interaction illustrates the disconnection between personal identity and government possession, emphasizing how war strips individuals of their autonomy and personal ties to their own bodies.

The dialogue encapsulates the central themes of the book, where personal experiences collide with impersonal military regulations. Heller uses dark humor to critique the illogical nature of war and the systems that govern it, conveying how individuals become mere objects within larger, dehumanizing structures. Through this exchange, the author reflects on the chaos of war and the absurdity inherent in a system that dictates claims over one's own physical being.