"Person X is a synecdoche for the American people," where Person X's traits are a representation of typical American traits. If not, what would be a better word to use?
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2I know no other. A synedoche is a synedoche: calling the whole by a part. However, person x cannot be a "part" of the American people. The "American people" don't have a "part". It's usually for things. So, you might use a part of the body to refer to some individual. (Sorry, not my fault if that could end up being pretty nasty). Person X is representative of the American people. Not a synecdoche of them. – Lambie Mar 21 '17 at 20:14
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Some other words could be stand in or everyman. – Yosef Baskin Mar 21 '17 at 20:22
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Do you mean someone like Uncle Sam, or John Bull, or do you mean a real person? Or someone like Adam as in as in Adam all die. – davidlol Mar 21 '17 at 20:26
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"typical American traits?" you mean stereotypical, right? – Arm the good guys in America Mar 21 '17 at 20:49
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The example sentence could effectively read "Bob is America". That would work and there's no need to bring the word synedoche in to confuse matters. – Mike C Mar 21 '17 at 21:09
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You might refer to that person as an archetype of the American people:
the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype
… the House of Commons, the archetype of all the representative assemblies which now meet … — Thomas Babington Macaulay
; also : a perfect example
He is the archetype of a successful businessman.
definition from m-w.com
An archetype is a perfect example or model of something. If you have long blonde hair, a sparkly ball gown, and a fairy godmother hovering over your head, you're the archetype of a fairytale princess.
from vocabulary.com
Hellion
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I agree, archetype is more appropriate. Syndecdoche is used where one part of something is referenced to mean the whole thing, but it means it on a more literal level. e.g. calling a car a "stick-shift", referring to solely the gear mechanism (when they mean the whole car), or saying "America beat Russia", when referring to the American and Russian ice-hockey teams. – Arthur Mar 21 '17 at 21:15
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In literature [and there is a related usage in religious studies], the word type is used for such a representative.
type noun
C1 [ C ] [specialized] [literature]
a person who seems to represent a particular group of people, having all the qualities that you usually connect with that group:
He doesn't use fully rounded characters in his plays – he uses types.
[CDO]
Edwin Ashworth
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In movies, actors like Tom Hanks (and the generation preceding, Jimmy Stewart), is called everyman. (I have heard this term in literary use, as well.)
This Salon article discusses how Hanks typifies the American character.
In this way, Hanks followed the career trajectory of James Stewart, a screwball comedy vet who frequently represented the common good. The Stewart character is both ordinary and exceptional.
Everyman refers an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances.
Other answers have explained why synecdoche doesn't fit. Here's a link to synecdoche: https://english.stackexchange.com/a/15567/3306
