What do the Eights receive in The Giver?

Eights receive a jacket with pockets for the first time.

Each year, Jonas’s community has a series of ceremonies.  All children under twelve that are born in the same year turn the same age at the same time.  At each ceremony they are given a special gift unique to that year.  It might be clothing, a bicycle, or even a job in the case of the Twelves.

When Jonas becomes a Twelve, his sister Lily...

Eights receive a jacket with pockets for the first time.

Each year, Jonas’s community has a series of ceremonies.  All children under twelve that are born in the same year turn the same age at the same time.  At each ceremony they are given a special gift unique to that year.  It might be clothing, a bicycle, or even a job in the case of the Twelves.

When Jonas becomes a Twelve, his sister Lily becomes an Eight.  She gets a gift of clothing.

Jonas watched and cheered as Lily marched proudly to the stage, became an Eight and received the identifying jacket that she would wear this year, this one with smaller buttons and, for the first time, pockets, indicating that she was mature enough now to keep track of her own small belongings. (Ch. 6) 

Everyone wears the same clothes, and the clothing is symbolic.  For example, younger children wear jackets with buttons down the back to learn interdependence.  At Seven, the buttons switch to the front.  Then the jackets get closer and closer to the adult version.  The Eights get pockets for the first time because they are starting to grow up, and it is a symbol of independence.

In addition to getting something, Eights also lose something.  All children in the community get a comfort object when they are born.  This is a stuffed animal, which the community thinks is an imaginary animal.

"Lily," her mother said fondly, "you're very dose to being an Eight, and when you're an Eight, your comfort object will be taken away. It will be recycled to the younger children. You should be starting to go off to sleep without it." (Ch. 2) 

It makes sense in a way that the community would want to help wean children off of their security animals.  However, it is kind of odd that they would take the animals and give them to other children.  Perhaps it is a way of keeping children connected to one another.  Maybe the community is just being frugal.

Clearly Eight is the age when children are being prepared for adulthood.  Eight year olds start volunteer hours. This means that they begin to go out into the community and help out at various places.  They will be watched until they are Twelves, and this information will be used to help determine which assignment they are given.