This is a difficult question, in that Finny is the truly innocent character of the novel, while Gene harbors paranoia & jealousy which lead to Finny's fall and, ultimately, death. However, Gene does carry some innocence of adolescence with him early on.
One such example is his attitude toward war, and his status in society as a 16-year-old male in the summer of 1942.
"I think we reminded them of what peace was like, we boys of sixteen. We registered with no draft board, we had taken no physical examinations. We were carefree and wild, and I suppose we could be thought of as a sign of the life the war was being fought to preserve. Anyway, they were more indulgent toward us than at any other time."
Gene has the advantage of being a year younger than those who are preparing for war, & this allows him a carelessness & selfishness which not many people could possess. He is free to worry about his trigonometry test on the night he & Finny sleep on the beach, & he is free to jump out the tree as a game, rather than preparation for fleeing a sinking ship. They are able to complain about lack of maids to make their beds, rather than lack of nurses to tend their wounds on the battlefield. He can pursue the goal of valedictorian, instead of choosing which branch of the military to join.
Gene, in many places, also represents an innocence in friendship. Despite his animosity toward Finny, and his paranoia in thinking Finny is out to sabotage his grades, Gene often delights in realizing the depth of their friendship. He is excited to know that the most popular kid in school is his roommate and has chosen him to join in all his ridiculous antics. These moments highlight how dramatic the shift in his thinking is, when it comes later.
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