How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from the Japanese to English translated subtitles of Seven Samurai.
Quote #7
KIKUCHIYO: Look, you idiots. We come all this way and then look at the welcome you give us! Yet when I knock on your alarm a few times […] you all rush out screaming for us to help you! Stupid!
A rather simple expression of ethics here: treat your guests nicely. It tells us that Kikuchiyo is better than the peasant he was born as, as well as highlighting the ethical differences between the samurai and the farmers.
Quote #8
KIKUCHIYO: This baby. It's me! The same thing happened to me!
Kikuchiyo's realization here is the first real expression of sympathy he's shown. He's connecting to another human being in a profound way here, and the ethical package that comes with that (i.e., "you should care about other people") helps him make the spiritual transition from peasant to samurai.
Quote #9
KATSUSHIRO: I've always wanted to tell you how great I think you are.
A little bit of hero worship is okay, if said hero is the rock of samurai morality that Kyuzo is. For all the undermining of traditional Japanese ideas in this film, Kurosawa still wanted to emphasize that some things, like moral behavior, are still important.