The title and the first few paragraphs of William Makepeace Thackeray’s “Going to see a man hanged” successful provided readers with the basic setting of the short story. Thackeray started describing his experience of going to see a execution by portraying different people’s attitudes toward the execution the night before Courvoirsier was hanged. Undoubtedly, the night was a sleepless night not only for the author who was going to witness the execution, but also for other townfolk and Courvoisier.
Thackeray only slept half and hour because he was anxious about the event which he was going to witness tomorrow. The execution brought discomposures to people besides Courvoisier. Author’s company X… also was not able to fall in sleep. In tract, he went to a club and joked about execution with others. Moreover, the Thackeray also imaged the feeling that Courvoisier had, so readers could feel the sense of ruefulness, remorse and despair that Courvoisier had before his death.
The beginning of the short story showed different people’s perceptions and responses toward to same event. Readers were able to feel the gloom that pervade the town easily.
I did not read this short story but based on your analysis it is true that the same event can be viewed differently through various wandering eyes. Including the reader we all interpret events differently even the most common and simple events that are straight forward can be different to many people.