In “The Windup Girl” by Paolo Bacigalupi, the genetically engineered protagonist is Emiko.
Emiko is a “windup,” a genetically modified human created in Japan to serve as a companion and domestic assistant. After being brought to Bangkok by a Japanese diplomat and abandoned there, she becomes trapped in bonded servitude at a sex club. Her engineered body is designed for obedience, but the novel increasingly focuses on her attempts to claim independence and escape exploitation.
Emiko’s story unfolds alongside Anderson Lake’s search for Thailand’s seedbank, Hock Seng’s efforts to regain his former status, and the political struggle between Thailand’s ministries and powerful calorie companies. These characters are all central viewpoint figures, which can make the question slightly confusing, but Emiko is the title character and the genetically engineered “new person.”
Jaidee is an Environment Ministry captain, Hock Seng manages Anderson’s factory, and Anderson is an economic agent. None of those three is the windup girl.