In their critical study of Lo prohibido most scholars make only casual mention of its memoir format, and the fictitious circumstances of its composition are all but ignored. yet this narrative premise has an overall impact on the novel. In addition to determining the discourse order of the text, it is instrumental in establishing the narrator's authorial autonomy as well as permitting him varying degrees of unreliability. Furthermore, it affects the different narrative voice techniques employed in the novel. The following discussion will examine the implications of this neglected facet of Lo prohibido.